The Pawn
by ScantronGrl
Summary: It has always been a game of control for Aidou, whether it's his adoring fans or his relationship with others, but there is one person that he cannot seem to grasp and she remains always beyond his reach.
1. Chapter 1

Note to reader: This fanfic in no way represents the actual timeline of the story. I sort of got it mixed up a little bit, but it all works out either way. I don't own any of the characters except the obvious. Enjoy.

"To think you are yearning for someone even if it might expose the Night Class to danger." Kaname let out a frustrated breath. "But you can't continue your pursuit. No matter how much you like the girl. You'll die if you continue, so I will make it so this doesn't happen again," he said to the tensely waiting Hanabusa. His eyes widened in disbelief. No, Kaname-sama wouldn't do this, he couldn't. A voice in the back of his mind whispered that Kaname was doing it for his own good, but truly, his emotions were playing havoc on his reason. He reacted almost violently before pulling himself into check.

"Please, don't touch her, Kaname-sama," he whispered, full of pleading and with a hidden pinch of warning. Kaname's eyes grew sad.

"I will do what must be done." Releasing his friend, he stepped back and slowly walked away, allowing the darkness to encompass his retreat. Hanabusa felt his legs give out, knowing full well there was nothing he could do to stop the pureblood from doing as he announced. How could it come to this?

_One year ago_

"Idol-senpai!" Those cries of exuberance and adoration had become a lull he had grown accustomed to and he reacted as he allowed himself to in order to quench his constant need to be recognized. He felt his eyes lazily scan through the crowds of adoring girls standing to the side as Yuki-chan attempted to hold them back yet again. Always standing to the side was her calm counterpart, Zero, one in which he hated, not for the fact he was once a human and a vampire hunter at that, but simply for the fact that his situation made him stand out more than others. It was a flaw that Hanabusa long admitted to himself, his craving for attention, and perhaps that is what led him to her. She refused to idolize any of the Night Classmen. It was ridiculous really, did she think it made her stand out from the rest; acting all reserved and cool? It was irritating really. She stood quietly as she was being jostled by her surrounding comrades. Her face blank and bored, joining in the evening ritual simply to accompany her friend, the prefect. He wasn't fooled at all by this. She was there to see the Night Class. There was no way that one such as her, a human, could withstand the charms of him and the others. His arrogance astounded even himself at times, but how could he feel guilty about something that was so evidently true.

"Yori-chan, perhaps you should go back to the dorms, they are particularly rowdy today," said Yuki in a strained voice as one girl got too anxious and ended up plowing an elbow into her side. Yuki let out a grunt. Hanabusa only watched with disinterest as he was passing. The petite blonde surprised everyone by turning to the crowd of girls, her face solemn. Her very presence was unnerving for them as she turned her will on them.

"Be quiet," she said quietly, yet there was a force of steel behind her voice. The girls had never heard her speak in such a manner and one by one, began to quiet their cries and shouts. The crowd's force was less obvious now. Yuki grinned.

"Are you sure you shouldn't be doing my job right now?" she said jokingly. "You'd make a good prefect!" Yori scoffed ever-so-slightly.

"I assure you I have no interest in the job, thank you," she said with a small smile. Hanabusa brushed the experience off his shoulder. The adoration awaiting him within the lines of girls flocking to him were all he needed. They gave him the attention he craved, yet it irked him that such a girl could remain so unaffected by the Night Class. Perhaps it was the influence of Yuki's casualness with them. Shrugging, he put it out of his mind and moved on to better thoughts.

"Aidou-senpai, the dorm leader would like to speak with you," Rima said flatly. Hanabusa reluctantly pulled himself from his adoring fans to make his way to his master's bidding. He stood steadily in front of the others.

"Hai, Kaname-sama, you wished to speak with me?" he said formally, as he bowed. His leader moved nonchalantly on towards the classroom.

"I will be needing you to take charge of a Level E case in town. It seems that they are becoming more blatant in their bloodthirsty attempts. I have already arranged for your absence from class. I would be appreciative if you would report back to me once you have completed this task. As the council has declared, we nobles and purebloods are still in charge and it is time to remind the Level E's of this." Hanabusa bowed again, covering his heart.

"As you wish, Kaname-sama."

-------

Yori was determined not to stay trapped in the dorms yet again. She spent most of her time in the library, most of the week and on their days away from the classroom, but even someone like her needed a break sometimes. Yuki was once again out on her rounds, but after living with this girl for so long, she has been able to decipher the times that Zero-kun and she would pass at a certain entrance. It would be easy and simple, especially for someone with her advantage of insider's information. She mentally apologized to Yuki, well aware that she took her duty seriously, yet another proof that those she guarded were abnormal. Oh, yes, she knew about them, how could she not? All of the pieces had come together a while ago, but being as it was such a big secret, there was no point in making a big ruckus about it. Yet, having those bloodsucking monsters nearby made her uncomfortable. Perhaps that was her reason for taking up self-defense classes. Of course, she was sure it would do little for her given their strength. After coming to the conclusion that they were surrounded by vampires, she made extra effort to learn about them as much as possible. In fact, she had a small guilty understanding that she was somewhat enamored with them. This was something she would never admit, to no one, not even herself. This constant stress and awareness had drained her slowly over time and the breaking point was tonight. Tonight she was going to be a rebel and leave the grounds without supervision. She smiled slightly to herself as she pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders, dressed in a black dress and a hood to cover her glowing hair. It would be easy to spot at night. Who would have thought someone like her would take such a huge risk?

Making sure she had everything, she prepared to leave, jumping from the window ledge and catching hold of the branch, only to swing around and land, none-too lightly on the ground. Her ankle stung, but she was sure that she could walk it off. Taking a sigh and deep breath of freedom she let a real smile cover her lips, she only had to get out of the confinement of the stone wall. Glancing at the large clock sitting at the top of the steeple she was pleasantly surprised she was perfectly on time according to her calculations. Zero and Yuki were nowhere in sight. Taking a deep breath she made a run for it. She silently thanked herself for taking those defense classes, they had trained her body to be lithe and agile. She vaulted up into a tree and used her momentum to flip up and over the side of the wall. With a joyous cry she landed solidly on her feet with a twinge of anger from already-stressed ankle. Determined to not let that ruin her night, she progressed toward the town, admiring the sunset as she went.

The shops were alight with beautiful lamps and items strewn across the carts' surfaces. Jewelry, pottery, clothe, weapons, food; it was all there. Yori couldn't help smiling as she wandered from one vender to another. A shadow lurked however behind others, following her at every move. Blue eyes were attached on her figure.

"What is she doing here?" he grumbled, knowing full well that it was after hours and should be back in the dorms. She must have snuck out and he found this to be natural, though others would find it to be a surprise. He sensed a strength in her that she let few see, but he had not been aware of it until earlier that day when she had stood up to her classmates. Intrigued with this mysterious side of her, he followed her slowly from one stall to the other, eyes never leaving her, waiting to see what she would do next. Cursing, he realized he was spending too much time following this girl and not enough time seeking out the Level E. Evidently quite a menace; taking on the form of a woman with a gentle smile. Looking around he saw that there were many women with gentle smiles and they were all trying to sell their wares at their carts. Scoffing quietly he turned away to begin his search for the true purpose of this excursion, leaving this girl to wander on her own, she was of no concern of his.

Aidou pushed off further into the night, leaving her behind. Yori clutched her hands into fists. Something wasn't right. For the longest time she felt a presence, watching her and suddenly it began to fade. She looked up, not sure why she felt so uncomfortable. It only took a moment for her to see him, no matter how inconspicuous he tried to be. His hair was easy to determine from others surrounding them. Anyone from the Night Class would be obvious in this crowd. Glowering, Yori switched roles. She did not like being followed and he better have a good reason for being out here as well. He walked casually, with his hands shoved in his pockets, whistling a strange tune as he went. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen, or fall from the sky. Finally, he stopped in front of an alleyway and began to make his way even further into the darkness. Yori held her breath. It wasn't the darkness she feared, it was the complete unknown that usually awaited there. Steeling herself, she plummeted in after him but was immediately grabbed from the side as she flew past him. He slammed her up harshly against the wall, knocking the breath out of her. His eyes were glowing and hers widened in surprise. They were enchanting in the dark, not frightening. She struggled to not raise her hand to touch that light. His voice stopped her.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed. If it weren't dark out she would have sworn she saw the glimmer of his fangs. "Do you know how dangerous it is out here, especially at this time?" Yori shook her head, clearing it of whatever spell it was he was binding her in at that moment. She replaced her look of surprise with one of indignation.

"I could ask you the same thing, Aidou-senpai," she said as calmly as possible. Her irritation bubbled right below the surface.

"That is none of your business," he said flatly. Seeming to come to his senses, he pulled back immediately, releasing her. "I apologize, my lady, for having shocked you and spoken so roughly. It was not my intention, but I was aware I was being followed, just not aware it was you," he said stiffly, trying to hide his annoyance with a suave exterior. She wasn't buying it.

"I was following you only because you had been following me," she said simply. He stiffened, the façade fading instantly.

"I was merely curious about a fellow delinquent student," he said pointedly. It hit its mark. She had never been unruly as a student at Cross Academy and the one time that she happened to break a rule, she became a delinquent? She was about to retort back with a sharp reply, but was instantly halted by the sound of slurping and feral growling. It came from further in the darkness. A woman sat crouched over a body, limp from the abuse and lack of blood, dead. It had been ignoring them until now, but as she had finished her meal, the Level E turned to address her disturbance. Hanabusa barely had a chance to react as the woman launched herself straight at them with a howl and a sadistic grin. Hanabusa moved to the side but had not seen that Yori was still in the way. His eyes widened as the woman was moving headlong towards the hapless girl. He cried out, knowing he was not going to be in time to shove her out of the way. Yori's eyes were frozen wide, the first time having seen something like this, but then something happened. Something snapped. Using the woman's momentum, she grabbed the other's shoulders and dropped, shoving her feet into the stomach and flinging her headlong into a nearby wall with such force several bricks tumbled out of place. Yori lay gasping on the ground, unable to get up, the initial shock still wearing off of what she had done. Once again, another attribute to self-defense. Aidou stood back eyes wide as he glanced from the girl to the crumbled figure back and forth again. He noticed her trembling hands as she shifted to stand up once again. The gurgles and hisses that came from the fallen Level E arose once again as it got up to its feet. She looked angrily at Yori.

"Blood, I need more of your blood!" she yelled angrily as she launched at Yori once again. This time Hanabusa was prepared and grabbed the woman by her neck before she had a chance to even touch his schoolmate. Instantly ice began to spread all over the entire body, encompassing the enraged Level E until finally it was unable to move anymore. With a disgusted sound, he shoved it away from him, allowing it to shatter into unfamiliar pieces.

"Disgusting," he said under his breath. Then he turned his attention to Yori, who stood staring dully at the fragments before them. He was surprised that she had not run away screaming. It would make erasing her memory easier, that's for sure. He walked up to her slowly.

"Don't touch me," she said quietly, her demeanor never changing. A smile tilted at the side of his mouth. He continued to reach forward. She was faster than he expected. Grabbing hold of his arm she wrapped it tightly around in an odd direction and pushed him to the ground, her laying firmly on his back. "I said, don't touch me, vampire." Hanabusa was surprised at first, then amused.

"So you knew then."

"I've always known. Honestly, you think that our school could keep something like that a secret from someone who really saw what was going on? Give me a break. I may not know the intimate details, but I know a vampire when I see one now."

"Impressive," Hanabusa finally responded. "Now I suggest that you release me. I don't want to hurt another student." His voice portrayed that he didn't seem to care one way or another. Yori grit her teeth, indecisive. What should she do? Run? Try to restrain him? That option was definitely not possible. Before she had a chance to do anything she felt a coldness sweeping up her arm. She gasped as she saw that the ice had encased her entire forearm, keeping her attacked to Hanabusa.

"What are you…"

"Only what I have been ordered."

"Orders? I don't believe involving me in anything is an order," she spat out. She saw she would not be able to talk herself out of this situation. Sighing, knowing she had no choice, she faced him head on. He was struck silent by the determined look on her face. She wasn't afraid? "Go on, do what you must." She closed her eyes, awaiting whatever fate had in store for her. Aidou simply stared at her, perplexed by this girl's strange reactions that evening. Not knowing what else to do, he did what he always did when he was confused. He reacted harshly.

"You're an idiot," he said under his breath. He was at a loss of what to do. He had meddled with memories before, but not when someone waited for him to do it. It was confounding and he hated ambiguity as much as he hated strong-headed girls like her. The moment was becoming too irritable for him, so he did what he knew he did best; he stalked away. Yori looked at him in confusion, not sure what had happened. She watched him leave, only to realize a few minutes later that her arm was still covered in a thick sheet of ice, growing very cold. Growling, she ran after him.

"Hey! What do you plan on doing about this?" she yelled.

"It'll melt," he said apathetically. Growling, Yori stomped off after him, intending on returning together. She did not want to be left out alone at this time. Her eyes were open to that now, even if it meant having to return with someone she was growing to dislike.

-------

Yori felt her heart skip a beat as they approached the gates. Kaname-senpai was waiting for them right outside. His eyebrow rose up inquisitively as they approached.

"Yori-chan, aren't you out a little bit late?" She bowed low.

"It was my mistake, I was caught out after dark. I luckily ran into Aidou-senpai and he was kind enough to bring me home safely." The inquisitive look returned to Hanabusa.

"Is this true?" His silent nod was answer enough for that. "Did anything else happen?" he asked suspiciously. Yori vaguely felt Hanabusa tremble.

"Nothing, Kaname-senpai. I truly appreciated Aidou-senpai's help. Arigato," she said bowing again. "Please don't tell Yuki about this. She will be extremely worried," she said trying to change the topic, feeling as though she and Hanabusa were walking on thin Ice. Kaname gave her a gentle smile and nodded, pointing his chin over his shoulder, indicating that she could leave. Glancing over her should at Hanabusa, she walked away slowly, not sure why she felt she needed to stay behind by his side, should he need some kind of explanation. For what, she wasn't sure.

Hanabusa was grateful for the girl's aptitude in keeping his lack of action after the attack a secret, but turning back to Kaname, he realized that it didn't do any good for him.

"The target was eliminated," Hanabusa said, hoping to delay any onslaught from Kaname. His attempt went ignored.

"She knows something, doesn't she?" Hanabusa shrugged, feeling as if he wanted to return in kind to the girl, but his loyalty to Kaname was greater than that of someone he had barely spoken a word to.

"Yes, she knows, has for a while I guess."

"I see," Kaname said pensively. "Take care of it." Hanabusa smiled a little sadly.

"She has not said anything until now, is it truly necessary?" His lord's silence was answer enough. "I will do as you bid, Kaname-sama." Bowing down, Hanabusa turned to slowly follow the girl.

"Be careful," came Kaname's voice. Hanabusa responded over his shoulder.

"She's just a little girl, I will be fine." He continued his slow walk on. A small corner of Kaname's mouth went up. "So is Yuki, but that doesn't mean that they have nothing that can hurt us," he said quietly.

-------

"Why do you continue to follow me?" Yori finally asked as she neared an alcove of trees. Hanabusa froze, surprised she had been aware of his approach. Standing straight he scratched the back of his head with a small smirk.

"I see you found me out." She gazed at him steadily.

"You wish to drink my blood?" she said flatly, turning around fully to face him. Without waiting for his answer she unsnapped the first button of her dress and pulled it aside to reveal a pale neck. Hanabusa gulped audibly. Who the hell does this girl think she is? She was tempting him. He clenched his fist and looked away, pulling his line of vision away from the invisible veins only he could see.

"Don't drop me to that level," he barked quietly. She slowly released her collar.

"Then why do you follow me?" she asked again.

"Some unfinished business," he said steadily as he stepped forward. Her eyes still did not waver. "Why do you look so calm?" he demanded, irritated by her unshakable expression.

"I knew long ago of the school's secret and I also realized that if something like this were to happen I would be powerless to stop it. I will not struggle. Yuki cares deeply for the sanctity of this secret and I will not be the one to reveal it so blatantly to others. I am not that foolish of a person." Hanabusa studied her carefully, the wind picking up speed, blowing locks of her hair across her face. She truly could be enchanting.

"You offer yourself freely in such a manner you deserve what comes then," he growled, still not advancing any further.

"If it is not my blood, then what is it you want?" she said finally. Silence. Hanabusa took one step then another and he saw that she was forcefully restraining herself from retreating with every step that he took towards her. Finally upon reaching her, he extended his hand and roughly grabbed her chin.

"You infuriate me," he said simply. "You with your blank look and calm smile. Even now I would like nothing better than to wipe that expression from your face."

"Then do it," she said. His irritation rose even further to new heights. "It is something you crave to do, isn't it? Make us humans fall into submission, acknowledge your noble place within the class? That is why you embrace your admirers so openly. You crave the homage and idolatry." His eyes flashed crimson for a moment. He felt her pulse gain speed, but still that same blank look. He had never seen it on her face before, all the other times she looked so innocent and happy with Yuki, but now, he had never seen this face. He pulled her closer and growled directly into her face.

"You are not in a position to judge anyone," he said forcefully. "You ARE human and it is best not to forget that." He faltered. He had to make her forget. That was his purpose for being there that night, to erase the fact that she knew she was human and that he was not. He grit his teeth. The leverage he had would be erased and he felt his pride welling up in him, yet another one of his faults. Pride always got in his way. If he erased this girl's memory then he could no longer laud his position. She would no longer look at him as the noble vampire, she would no longer look at him at all. He could not stand the last. He wanted her attention, not out of affection or any warm feelings, simply for his own greed and selfish desires. He felt a hunt welling up inside of him and it was so overpowering he could barely stem the anticipation. His teeth lengthened as he smiled at her haughtily.

"Just remember that. You are nothing but a mere human and I can use you as a pawn as I please," he said in a low voice. Without another word, he swung around walked slowly into the darkness.

Yori let out a gust of breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her legs began to give out, but she strengthened her resolve, putting all her attention into not crumbling there. She felt her fear finally taking its toll on her body. The night's events flooded her as tears welled up in her eyes. What had happened? She felt as if the barrier she had carefully placed between her and the Night Class was being shattered in an instant. That was not right. She tried to remain open-minded being Yuki's friend, but now, it seemed impossible. He was a demon, a monster and there wasn't anything that would change that.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite having tried to return silently and without being caught, the dorm leader had found her sneaking in and be she was scolded thoroughly for having left the grounds without permission. It was expected, but it was her first and only breech of the rules, so she was left with a warning. During class Yuki also scolded her with concern, but soon left off with simply asking her questions about her adventures. Yori made sure to leave out anything exciting, hoping the simplicity of the story would allow that incident to fade into memory and the past. With luck, everything would be back to normal in a few days. If only she didn't have to see him. He ignored her from what she could tell and she did in kind as best as possible. She was strongly aware of his presence whenever the Night Class left the Moon Dorms. As was ritual, she attended these gatherings in support of the prefects, but truly she would have rather been elsewhere.

The days were growing unbearably hot. The cicadas were making a racket all the time and classes were eventually called off due to the heat. The cooling system was not functioning appropriately and everyone was told to go into town to cool off. Yori refused to leave and used an excuse of studying to stay behind. Of course she was teased a little by the other students, but that was to be expected. Instead of doing as she had said, she went down by the school's rather large lake. It was a perfect place to think and be alone uninterrupted. Few ventured out that far due to the heat especially today. Sighing, Yori stepped out onto the dock, carrying with her journal and pen, dipping the tips of her toes into the water as she wrote. Her dreams had plagued her since that night, the nightmare of that demon lunging at her. Several times she had woken up with a cry and unfortunately no one was there to comfort her. Yuki was once again out on patrol. It left her quacking with fear and drenched in sweat. Yori felt drained now. The water looked calm and cool, completely clear to the bottom. Feeling adventurous, she slipped out of her uniform and folded her clothes neatly in a small pile on the dock right next to her journal. Without a second of hesitation, she dove into the refreshing water. She dunked herself several times before popping back to the surface with a large gleaming smile. This was the peace she sought every day. This was the feeling she was hoping to attain outside of the academy. There were so few places she could appreciate her solidarity.

The creaking of the dock boards brought her attention back to her surroundings. She watched horrified as Hanabusa reached down to pick up her journal casually.

"Don't touch that!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"This?" he said innocently as he flipped through the pages. He thought he heard her teeth gnashing.

"If you are looking for something about you, you will be highly disappointed," she growled. With an air of boredom, he threw it back down and crouched to get a better look at her. She turned away timidly despite trying not to. "What do you want?" she said forcefully.

"I noticed you had left in this direction quite some time ago. The sun will be setting soon and I thought it would be my gentlemanly duty to escort you back to your dorm," he said mockingly.

"You being here now is not exactly gentlemanly," she countered.

"No, I suppose not." Standing up and stretching his full length, he glanced down at her. Her back was still to him. He admired the curves closely, making her shiver and duck further into the water. "Come now, I have seen many in the past. Do you think yourself so high and mighty that you have anything to offer me?" It was a cruel blow and he felt a pang of regret saying it. To atone for it, he leaned down again and offered his hand. "I apologize. Please let me help you, my lady." Yori turned, her eyes narrow, seeing the deviant challenge he was presenting. Slowly, she turned to face him and move closer to the dock. Her hand reached up slowly to accept his hand.

"Don't…" her hand tightened in a surprisingly strong grip. "Mock me!" she said as she pulled with all her might. Hanabusa teetered on the dock and plunged headlong into the water. He came up sputtering for air as he looked around completely baffled.

"What the…" He quickly caught sight of Yori making a fast getaway towards the dock's ladder. His eyes flared red. He took so much meticulous time with his appearance and she dared to ruin it in such a way in an instant? Before she had time to even touch the ladder, she was grabbed by the ankle, pulling her deep into the water. Her leg scraped across one of the rocks on the bottom painfully as she raised back to the surface, immediately pinned with her back up against the ladder, strong hands clenched on either side of her. What she faced was an infuriated, vane vampire.

"You dare…" he started dramatically.

"You dare," she cut him off. "To approach a girl in this situation?" He was about to respond hotly when he froze. A very faint waft of blood reached his nose. Looking around he tried to find the source, already the hunger gnawing at him. Yori wondered what had stopped his rampage and was suddenly reminded of her leg when a small pang of pain shot up her leg. Her eyes popped open wide as they met with Hanabusa's. It dawned on her what was happening and she struggled wildly to turn herself around, anything to scramble up the ladder and get away. Two hands swung her back around and slammed her painfully against the ladder once again. His eyes were blood red as he smiled sardonically.

"I thought you said you wouldn't struggle in such a situation." She stiffened her back and forced her upper body to relax. She raised her chin and tried to keep it from trembling.

"So I did," she said, realizing how hopeless the situation was. Hanabusa leaned forward, feeling the need for her blood rising up desperately, fighting with his conscious. It smelled so enticing. He gently moved aside strands of hair from her neck and gently explored the area with his tongue. 

She squeaked a little in surprise, forcing him to emit a small smile of satisfaction. Perfect. His fangs grew at length as he moved in closer, inhaling her sent and with anticipation of what she was to offer him. Her trembling voice stopped him. It didn't sound like her.

"Will it hurt?" He pulled back surprised.

"What?" She cleared her throat as she made her voice steadier.

"I said will it hurt?" He smiled sadistically.

"That will all depend on you," he said. She questioned him with her glance. "It will depend upon how you react to me." Still no understanding. He rolled his eyes. "The more you want me to bite you the more pleasurable it will be," he finally said bluntly. She blushed. It sounded too much like making love. He read her mind and barked out a laugh at her naivety, his bloodlust dying with the laughter.

"You are stupid, you know that?" Actually it was the first time anyone had called her that.

"And you are arrogant," she retorted back, not liking being laughed at. His laughter died and his face sobered into one of mischief.

"I will be the first to bite you and give you that pleasure if you'd like," he said enticingly. She gasped and tried to pull back further away from him if possible. It wasn't.

"I don't want to be bitten," she growled lowly, warning him.

"You won't have a choice if I so decided," he said back bluntly. Yori felt like she was playing with fire and it thrilled her.

"We will see about that, I have no plans on being bitten by the likes of you," she said. It hit its mark. Hanabusa's hand shot out and grasped her around the throat.

"Lesson number one, respect is a key to survival in the vampire world. It's something you should learn right now," he said menacingly. His eyes gentled slightly as he saw a flash of fear in her eyes. All other expressions he was not necessarily a fan of, but this particular expression he cared for not at all. His fingers released her gently from around the neck and slowly raised his fingers to caress her cheek. She flinched initially and he felt a pang of regret.

"And with lesson one learned, you will be returned in kind," he whispered softly as he leaned in and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Her eyes were wide with surprise as they glistened, unable to comprehend what was happening. The small veneer of resistance was momentarily staved before she shoved him away violently.

"Lesson number one of humans," she said raggedly, pushing him at an arms distance. "Don't think you can use us as pawns that will bend to your will." Taking that moment she practically flew up the ladder and grabbed up her belongings, running headlong into the surrounding trees. Hanabusa watched her silently leave, not sure why he stayed frozen in his spot below the dock. Something in him felt like it was tightening around his chest, slowly coiling into an unbearable tension. His frustration was released into a sweep of his power throughout the lake. It froze instantly with the exception of the area surrounding him. Sighing, he slowly pulled himself up the ladder. Things were getting interesting.

-------------------

Kaname watched sullenly from the shadows, taking in the spectacle before him. Shaking his head he felt a deep regret for his friend. This was not going to end well if things continued on in this manner. He knew the social taboos this would break if everything progressed in this way and it would only mean pain for Hanabusa and Yori. What affected Yori would ultimately affect Yuki and that he could not allow.


	3. Chapter 3

Days sped by and before the students realized it break had arrived, six weeks of freedom from the confines of their studies and daily stress of class. Many students had prepared for this long in advance, arranging transportation and travel plans to go home. Yori had arranged it so that she would be going to some distant relative's spa during that time, high in the mountains. Going home for her was unbearable since her mother had remarried that man. He made her uncomfortable and he knew it. He hid it well from her mother, what he did to her, and for her sake, Yori remained silently accepting of the situation. She missed her dearly, but she could not stand the thought of being near that man for six weeks. It was something she refused to discuss, even with Yuki. All her roommate knew was that going home was similar to going to a torture camp for that period of time. Yuki had suggested that Yori stay on campus that year, but upon insistence and much convincing, Yori made it clear her intentions of leaving behind the campus and staying with her distant family member. An aunt who had been a cousin's stepmother, she was kind and now lived alone, caring for the spa on her own. It would be a perfect opportunity to rest and recuperate from the year's grueling studies.

Since the incident at the lake Hanabusa had remained quite absent from her daily routine with the exception of the nightly female flocking at the Moon Dorm's gates. She made a point of standing behind the crowd, not being seen, waiting for Yuki to finish her duties. The moment Hanabusa would step into view, her vision would avert to somewhere off in the distance and she knew that this did not go unnoticed by him, but she was satisfied with that, as long as he let her be.

Smiling gently, she continued to pack her meager belongings into a worn satchel, looking forward the journey ahead. Other than the time she had gone to the town alone, she had really felt little moments of change within her daily routine and finally, this break presented an opportunity for her to get away from everything that seemed to pile upon her. The evening before everyone was to leave for their destinations was a clear night. Yuki once again was doing her rounds and the curtains were left open to allow the moonlight to shine into the room. It was so bright she hardly needed the small light that was turned on atop the nightstand next to her bed. She hummed softly as she put away things one by one. With every item packed she felt calmer.

A small shift in the shadows caused her to stop and whirl around. Was that a man's shadow in the window? She shook her head, believing the light had played tricks again on her. Since that night in the town with the Level E intermingling with nightmares of home, she had not quite gotten over the horror of seeing another human being reduced to such a state. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she returned to her packing, still humming, this time a little less carefree.

A gust of wind forced the window to fly open loudly, as the panes batted against the walls, shaking her once again from her calm task. Standing up, slightly annoyed with herself and the wind, she moved to shut the panes. She frowned slightly as she noticed that the latch had been frosted into a breakable piece of glass. The wind was able to then scatter the pieces after it had forced the window open. She felt uneasy as she slowly forced the pane shut and found a hair ribbon to tie it shut. It would be something she would have to deal with later. There truly wasn't an explanation though for why the window…

As she turned she was nearly startled to her death to find Hanabusa, cool as ever, in the middle of the room, shadows covering his eyes. After the initial fright, she immediately went on the offensive.

"What are you doing in here Aidou-senpai?" she said angrily. "Hasn't anyone suggested using the door?" He smiled coyly.

"It's after hours, of course I wouldn't be able to just waltz into the girl's Sun Dorms." She crossed her arms over her chest almost protectively.

"What are you doing here?" she asked yet again. Letting out a sigh, he slowly flopped down on the edge of her bed; she still could not see his eyes.

"That's what I would like to know." This gave her pause. "You will leave tomorrow, is that correct?" he said quietly.

"Yes, I believe we are all in need of a break." He scoffed and mumbled something under his breath. She strained to hear what he said, but missed it.

"What?"

"I said I will have no break, I cannot relax. It is your fault," he said irritably. A small 'pff' escaped her lips, her finger raising up in front of her mouth.

"How is it my fault? We have not spoken in weeks…" His cool expression disintegrated and she was finally able to see his face for the first time.

"That is exactly why I am not able to relax!" he burst out. He took a shaky breath as she examined his face closely. His eyes were pained almost, foggy with something, not red as they were the last time she saw him. His expression was one she had never seen on him and it puzzled her. He lowered his gaze and looked away aware that he was being scrutinized closely.

"I can't seem to stop thinking about… your challenge to me at the lake," he finally said through a choked voice. "I used a poor choice of words that day, about you being a pawn. You have proven since the moment I saw you that you are not a pawn and could never be one." Yori smiled gently and walked around in front of him, still a fair distance away as a precaution.

"Is that what this is about? Because you are unable to control me at your whim like the others?" she said with a bit of irony. He heard her small laughter in her voice and immediately lifted his head to give a rebuttal, but found his words failed. Moonlight poured in silently, bathing her small frame in its light; it was quite enchanting. He hadn't noticed how much her eyes gleamed when she smiled. He felt rattled and looked away stubbornly.

"Yes, I can't control you whether it's in mind or body. I can't! And that is what frustrates me the most! You don't look at me. You don't speak to me."

"Is there a reason that I should?" she said with dead honesty. He flinched and did not respond immediately. She continued. "The fact that you are not the center of my world like the others, bothers you? You would care what a mere human thinks of you?" she said bluntly. His frustration grew. He felt as though she were laughing at him. He always felt as though she were laughing at him. It drove him mad. This entire time he thought she would come to him; her eyes said she wished to that the day at the lake. Perhaps he had read her wrong, or it seemed as though he could have been mistaken. But that's not possible! He never was mistaken about that. What made her so special?

"You think you are able to read me just like that? You know my thoughts and my inner most feelings?" he said derisively. She was almost taken aback by the ferocity she felt in his words.

"No, I never said that," she said, trying to placate. "I watched you," she finally admitted. His eyes came up suddenly. "I saw how you were with the others, the other girls. It is a façade that you carry with you everywhere. In the moments I have seen you. I by no means claim to know you that well, but simply from observation was I able to find these answers to who you are. The simple fact of the matter is, no one else was watching." It stung.

"No one was watching?" he said poisonously. "They were all watching. They all adore me, idolize me! How can you stand there and say no one was watching?" he demanded. She smiled slightly.

"Yes you are right. They were," she said finally, giving in to whatever argument that was going to ensue. "Is that all? I need to continue packing," she said briefly as she turned back to her task at hand. Hanabusa stared at her back for a long time, not moving or saying anything. Finally, noticing the silence and lack of movement, she turned and looked at him over her shoulder. "What?" she said cautiously.

"Where are you going?" he finally asked. She flinched a little with a sour taste in her mouth, remembering why she was forcing herself into self-exile from home.

"To the mountains, to visit a relative."

"Not your parents?"

"Father's dead. Mother remarried. I don't want to go back there," she said curtly and concisely. This was restricted territory, her voice gave proof of that and he effectively ignored it.

"What? Are you in love with your stepfather?" he said jovially, not enough to cover the hint of steel in his voice. She kept packing, ignoring his jab. He was trying to hurt her, she knew that, but it was still getting too close to home. "Does your mother not pay enough attention to you?" He should stop while he's ahead, he realized as a warning bell started to go off in his head as she suddenly stopped packing and her hands fisted into balls around the shirt she was packing. "Or perhaps he secretly abuses you in the night?" She snapped, dropping the clothing from trembling fingers and turned on him. Her eyes were livid.

"Get out!" her arm waving towards the window. "You have no business being here! Get out!" Silence reigned for an uncomfortable span of time. Letting out an all too casual sigh, Hanabusa stood up and presented his hands palms up, as if surrendering and moved sluggishly towards the window. She was about to slam the window shut after him, when she checked herself and gently replaced the ribbon to keep the panes closed. Her hands were still trembling. She would not go back there. She would not remember, none of it. Her fingers curled into a fist, attempting to control the waves of emotions that were threatening to breech the dam she had carefully laid out. A knock at the door helped her in this task. Raggedly, she turned her head and softened her voice.

"Come in," she called. The door opened, leading in a helper carrying a tray with an envelope. Yori felt her heart sink. The handwriting was that of her mother's. Closing her eyes she thanked the messenger and slowly opened the piece of paper. It started with the usual greetings and ended with a request for her to come home. Her mother's health was not well. Yori suddenly felt numb all over. She couldn't go back there, she promised herself she wouldn't. Her hands were shaking again as she placed the letter gently on the bed beside her and she slowly fell over onto the bed, curling her knees up tightly, wrapping her arms to hold them in as she laid on her side staring at the damning piece paper.

Hanabusa stared stoically from the window ledge he had still not left. Whatever word she had received was not good. He grunted, repeating that it was none of his business. None of his business because she was human, and humans and vampires had no business with one another. That is why vampire hunters were created, to play out that inability to coexist. He glanced briefly through the window again as he descended back to the ground and slowly made his way back to his dorm. It was none of his business at all.

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Yuki was holding Yori at arm's length, examining her for the hundredth time. Her concern was evident. The other students were hurriedly and excitedly getting ready for their departure, some parents had actually made the journey to retrieve their children. Yori's stepfather had made the same trip. He was a tall man, handsome, but completely inaccessible. His eyes were dead and his hands looked as though they were ready to strike anything down. Yori shivered as she looked away from him and back at Yuki. She placed a tremulous smile on her face.

"It's all right. It'll be fine," she said to comfort not only her roommate but herself. "It's only six weeks. I'll be back before you know it and we can exchange stories about our vacations." Yuki clasped Yori's hand tightly in her own and glared over her roommate's shoulder at her awaiting chaperone.

"If he touches you I will kill him," she said defiantly.

"Yuki!" Yori cried in surprise. "Not so loud." Taking a deep breath, Yori reached down and retrieved her satchel, slowly turning around to face the inevitable. Slowly, step by step, Yori approached the man with an air of caution. He forced a stiff smile and reached for her bag when suddenly a hand descended and snatched it away before he could reach it. Yori glanced up surprised to find Hanabusa carrying it lightly in his hand.

"I apologize for the late notice, but unfortunately Sayori will be unable to attend you back home. There are some serious matters to attend to here on campus in which she is responsible." Serious matters? She had not heard anything of the kind and was about to say so, but Hanabusa shot her a look that forced her into silence. Her stepfather stared at the young vampire up and down, assessing this new development.

"The arrangements have already been made. Sayori is returning home with me," he said flatly as he reached again for the bag.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I am simply the messenger. There are some issues with the accounts and if you would like to discuss it in private, then I'm sure we can do so. If you would follow me please." Hanabusa turned his back slowly as he led Yori's stepfather in the other directly. She was sure the tall man had shot daggers at her, as if this was planned on her part. Yori was just as perplexed as Yuki. The few remaining students stood whispering. What is it that Yori could possibly in trouble for? She was one of the top students. The two men were gone for over thirty minutes, a sufficient amount of time for the others to depart for their destinations. Yuki continued to stand guard over her friend as they waited impatiently. Finally, Yori's stepfather appeared in front of Hanabusa's person and walked straight past his stepdaughter. His eyes were slightly glazed over as he barely took in whom he was passing. He continued out towards the gate and into town, without a word.

"Aidou-senpai, what?"

"Apparently your father's trust fund has been closed, you will be staying here to work off any ensuing debt in preparation of the next year," Hanabusa said flatly.

"What? How is that possible?" cried Yori. "Father's trust fund was perfectly stable and able to sustain us…" Hanabusa continued to walk past the two girls.

"Just learn to take a blessing when you get one," he grumbled as he walked. Yori glanced at him sharply.

"I don't know what you did, but I was to go home. My mother is ill and…" Hanabusa stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Your mother is fine. He forged the letter," he said simply. Yori's jaw opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"But… bu…"

"Yori, are you all right," cried Yuki as the girl swooned; the sudden relief that swept through her body was overwhelming. The other leaned on her roommate to steady herself.

"I think I need to go lie down," she whispered as she turned slowly to pick up her satchel. Hanabusa had already picked up, beating her to it.

"I will escort you back to your room," he said in the most gentlemanly way possible. Yuki held her friend tighter.

"What business do you have with Yori?" she said protectively. Hanabusa thought quickly, raising his fingers to his mouth, as if thinking and suddenly let out an "ah!"

"That is right! Kaname-sama was looking for you Yuki. He said he has something to tell you!" Yuki was off like a shot, yelling over her shoulder, "Take good care of her!" Hanabusa rubbed his temple with his free hand and then turned to Yori.

"How do you know he forged the letter?" she said quietly, too drained to yell at him for taking matters into his own hands, as they slowly walked back towards her room.

"He admitted it to me. He admitted… everything…" Yori tripped a little and caught her balance.

"Why… why would he tell you any of it?" she said, avoiding saying what they both knew.

"Vampires have other abilities as well you know," he said mysteriously. They were silent the rest of the way back to her room. She pulled out her key, sliding it into the hole. It's funny that she had thought less than an hour ago she was going to do these six weeks from now instead of this instant. Noticing Hanabusa was still there, she turned to him and held out her hand, obviously reaching for the bag. He held on to it firmly.

"Don't you have your own trip to depart for?" she said smoothly, never allowing her eyes to leave his.

"No," he said flatly. "I will be staying here this break." Yori felt her breath catch in her throat. He gently handed over her satchel and turned to leave. She entered the room and was beginning to shut the door before she blurted out a quick thank you. Then the door was in place and the bolt latched. Hanabusa glanced with a small smirk over his shoulder at the closed barrier. As if a lock could keep him out, he thought ironically.


	4. Chapter 4

The day's events had worn her down. Yuki had moved back into the chairman's house for the break after much pushing, shoving, and blackmailing. Yori realized that Yuki needed time with her "family", even if that meant Yori being alone. Sighing, she gently placed the book she was reading on the nightstand and turned the light off, settling in for sleep. She only prayed that her memories would remain buried where they were.

It would not be such luck for her that evening. The blood, the pleading, the screams, the pain, everything came back to her in a flood that evening, leaving her breathless and alone. She had known he was coming for her, but her fear had rooted her to the spot, unable to fight back and all the while her mother remained "oblivious" to what was happening. No one was there to help her, or to make him stay away. For a long time he came to her every night, plaguing her in an ever-waking nightmare.

Yori sat up as sweat trickled down her temple, intermingling with the tears that ran unchecked down her cheeks, dropping from her chin onto the coverlet. She sucked in air in heaving gulps, trying to calm her heart. It wasn't until her heart had stopped racing so desperately when she noticed the shadow in the room. She opened her mouth to scream, but a firm hand shot out and pressed itself against her lips. Hanabusa's handsome face came out from behind the hand and stared at her.

"It's me," he whispered the obvious. Her eyes were wide with the shock and tears began again in earnest. It was too much for her, the day, the memories, the nightmare and now this. Hanabusa slowly removed his hand and used his thumb to wipe away the tears. "I came to tell you that, I would have killed him," he whispered honestly, intensely, never taking his eyes from hers. Her tears were drying now as quickly as they had started. Biting her lip, she looked away from his intense stare.

"I can take care of myself now. I've grown since then," she said bitterly. Hanabusa sat so close, it was making her nervous.

"Your cries when you sleep say otherwise. Is that the reason you wanted Yuki back at the chairman's home so badly? So you could suffer through this alone?" Yori stubbornly looked away. "I can take those memories away from you, you know. All you have to do is ask. Just put your trust in me," he said firmly. His heart was racing.

"I will not become your pawn or exchange my soul in return for such a thing," she said shakily. At first he was enraged and he felt his hands clench the sheets beneath him. He had presented a peace offering and she rejected it completely.

"As I said before, you are unable to be a pawn. You wouldn't allow yourself to become one," he said angrily, almost hurt by the truth of the matter. In all honesty, he wanted her to be his pawn; he wanted full control of her as he did the others, more her now than anyone else before. Yori glared straight back at him, not deterred by his anger in the least.

"No, I won't ask that of you. It is mine and mine alone to suffer."

"So you will truly live the rest of your life thinking that is what it feels like?" he said angrily, enraged not by her, but by her stepfather. "You will forever allow that experience to keep you from being loved?"

"What does a vampire know about love," she said mockingly as she laid her head back on the pillow, turning her body away, shutting him out. She was suddenly grabbed from behind and forced to face his shining blue eyes. Once again they were glowing in the dark.

"More than you will ever know," he said dangerously as he fell in upon her mouth. She squeaked in surprise as his tongue forced her mouth open, slanting his lips against hers as he tried to get her to respond. He wanted to hurt her, yet comfort her; give her pain, but yet make her smile. It was a constant contradiction for him and the confusing storm inside of him had been growing for months. His hands were firm, but gentle, easily removed. His fang elongated ever so slightly at the taste of blood, he had accidentally bitten her lip and it was bleeding now. His hunger grew as he suckled on the thick liquid. She had not moved, completely shocked by his antics. He was breathing quickly as he forced himself to pull away, licking his lower lip. He craved her blood. That simple taste was not enough for him. He moved to bolt from the scene of the crime, but her hand grasped his sleeve urgently. He stopped and looked at her with pained eyes.

"Don't go," she whispered. "Please." Hanabusa groaned and gently pulled her hand off of his sleeve.

"I can't do that. I… I will… I've already…" Yori gently reached out and took hold of his hand and placed it at the nape of her neck, pulling aside the material.

"It's all right. I'm fine with it," she said shakily. Hanabusa's eyes widened.

"Yori…"

"Just do it!" she cried loudly. If it meant she wouldn't have to be alone tonight, she would give whatever she could. Out of this entire academy, only he shared this horrifying secret with her. The bed creaked under the added weight as Hanabusa gently pulled her closer. He could still feel her trembling. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he forced himself to cover her neck once again. She looked at him questioningly.

"Aidou-senp…"

"At this rate it will hurt more than it is worth," he said gravely.

"You once told me though that it would actually be… all right… if…" He smiled slightly.

"You remember that do you?" She nodded, her hands clenched tightly on one another as she looked away at the wall on the other side of her bed, avoiding his searching look. What does it matter? It's not like it would be her first time after all. "You do realize what you are asking of me, right?" She nodded silently. "All right…"

Hanabusa leaned in once again to take her lips, only this time much more gently. His touch was feathery; afraid she'd shatter or worse, run away from him. Since when had she become such an obsession of his? Since the day he found out she was unable to be controlled? Or perhaps it was the moment he saw her diving into the lake. One way or another, this girl had intoxicated his senses and despite having fought against it all those weeks, it had finally taken hold of everything else that made him Aidou Hanabusa. He felt her shiver as his attention was focused on our mouth, his hands wandering all over her body. Perhaps her physical wounds had healed, but her emotional ones were still raw, he could sense it. Maybe in time they would heal completely, but for now, he would walk around them with caution and the utmost care.

Every movement and breath that was made from that moment on was done in a rapid succession of request and approval. Yori had to admit that he knew how to read her messages well. There wasn't any hesitation on his part, as if he knew what she sought. His fangs skimmed the surface of her skin, causing her to shiver from the intense electricity it left in its wake. The moment that he entered her, she cried out, not in pain however. Now was the opportunity he had built up for. He sank his teeth hungrily into her bared throat and she had not felt any pain at all, on the contrary. Her cries were all-encompassing as she grew closer to her climax. Hanabusa pushed into her over and over again all the while drinking only as much as he could risk. Finally he knew he had enough to stem the hunger and pulled away, concentrating fully on his own satisfaction and that of Yori's. His face twisted into a mask of pained pleasure as he finally released himself, emitting a body-shattering groan. Slowly, gently, he lowered himself on top of her, planting healing kisses on her neck all the while. She sighed in sleepy contentment as she slowly rubbed circles on his back. Their hearts were both racing as one. It was in those positions that they finally allowed sleep to overtake them.

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Yori felt the sun pouring in through the window and her first thought was cursing herself for not having done that the night before and it was at that very moment the flood of memories raced back into her mind's eye. She immediately sat straight up and looked around, seeing that she was alone. Was it a dream? The bird's voice floated in muted through the closed window. The sun's rays glinted momentarily off of something small in partly concealed by the coverlet. Yori bent forward and slowly reached for the small cufflink sitting oddly out of place on her bedspread. No, it wasn't. She slowly raised her head to look around her, and realized that if it weren't for the fact she had slept without the cover of her nightgown and the small jewelry left behind, she might have believed it was a dream. Heaving heavily, she fell back on her pillow with her hands raised above her head, examining the gold encrusted item, her mind completely blank. The only coherent words she could think were, "What now?"

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Hanabusa walked slowly through the gardens, despite the rays, he moved as though in water. His hands were sluggishly shoved into his pockets under slouched shoulders. He kicked a rock dazedly as he moved his way towards the Moon Dorms. The others would be asleep right now and that bore some kind of comfort. Thankfully few remained on campus, leaving fewer to question his whereabouts during their perusing hours. Though few would find it extraordinary, his absence that is. He was the campus playboy, and he was just as well known within the vampire realm as he was within the adoring eyes of the human girls. Perhaps no one had noticed after all and for once he was grateful that someone had not been watching his moves.

A twig snapped from behind as Kaname stepped out from underneath the shade of some trees. His face looked as stoic as usual, but this time it was slightly grim and Hanabusa had known him long enough to be able to tell the difference. He bent at the waist and bowed slightly.

"Kaname-sama," he said quietly, trying to force any tremors out of his voice. "What brings you out at this hour?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said just as quiet. Hanabusa grinned and scratched his head… something he did when he knew he had been caught.

"I found a lovely little lady that I just couldn't say no to," he said arrogantly. Kaname was not amused in the least. The dark man stepped forward and stood menacingly in front of the other.

"Whatever game you are playing, it stops, now," his voice was filled with steel, emotionless, but just as effective.

Hanabusa looked away, unable to take the heated stare from his superior. He felt his smile melt away and fading into something completely different. He couldn't seem to force a response.

"Is that clear?" Hanabusa mumbled a reply. "Louder," Kaname barked. The other stood tall and stiff instantly.

"Yes, Kaname-sama." To drive the point home, Kaname stared him down with his warning, drilling it further into Hanabusa's mind before stepping back and away. Instead of saying anything else, the elder turned back towards the dorms to return to the shelter of its dark confines. Hanabusa could feel his skin flaming from the sun even as he stood there staring after Kaname, eventually being driven into motion towards the dorms, only taking a moment to glance over his shoulder at the Sun Dorms. He mentally forced himself to shrug. It was fun while it lasted.


	5. Chapter 5

Hanabusa made a point of not having anything to do with Yori from that day forward and throughout the rest of the break. She was obviously hurt by the sudden denial of her existence. She had been made a fool of once already by trying to approach him in front of the other Night Classmen and was thrown a flippant remark comparing her to yet another one of his fans. That stung the most. He treated her as though he had turned her into what he said she could not be. Jaw clenched and fists rounded, she stormed away, swearing never having anything to do with him ever again. She would never trust someone as despicable as him.

And at night, she cried, letting down the barriers that she placed severely around her during the day. Her pillow had grown salty from her tears. No more did he come to her window to watch her. Yes, she knew he had been there some nights. She knew when he sat on her ledge, simply waiting right outside, staring at the moon. It was comforting knowing someone was watching over her, but it had stopped since that night. She had been used and thrown away. She felt humiliated, embarrassed, and like her heart had been coaxed out to blossom only to be crushed in an iron fist.

Yuki learned quickly never to mention Aidou Hanabusa's name when Yori was around, she and Zero knew that something had happened, but kept any questions to themselves. This was one topic that was firmly closed and locked. Time crawled by as Yori waited for classes to start once again. She craved distraction from this endless game. Perhaps with classes, she would be able to leave behind that horrid time during vacation.

Finally, it came, the day all the students arrived, tanned and glistening from their long rest and ready to start once again. Everyone had a story to be told of the places they had gone and pictures that they had taken with families and locations. Yori pretended to look interested as much as possible, but was unable to truly smile when others seemed so bent on being happy around her. She couldn't help but envy them. There wasn't anything else she could do but smile and pretend. Yuki noticed the smile never really seemed to reach her eyes anymore though. Yet she couldn't seem to bring herself to dig past the simply answers that Yori gave her. I'm fine, really. I'm just sad about not seeing my mother. No, trust me, I'm fine.

It was also during this time that strange things began to happen. Zero became absent from class more often. Yuki would arrive with scrapes and bruises unlike before. People were beginning to act strangely. Classes would receive new teachers that didn't teach. Most interestingly enough, Zero's twin brother mysteriously appeared in their class. Yori observed numbly as these small messages began to pop up within her world. Something was happening and there was nothing she could do to stop it, so why try? Only when Yuki started to arrive injured did she begin to worry about the situation. All this time Hanabusa began to look more and more distracted, not that she would ever allow herself to acknowledge it. It would be best to stay within her own little world, a place where few could hurt her.

It seemed as though that everyone was so distracted with the slowly changing atmosphere of the academy that few noticed that Yori was beginning to lose weight. Her appetite had dropped considerably, scraping by with the bare minimum. Her eyes were growing hollow. She couldn't blame Yuki for not seeing it though. Things had been getting worse, she could tell. The other girl was constantly looking for Zero, and was infrequently in class now. Yes whatever it was that was happening was coming to a head. Things could not continue on like this.

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A particularly stressful day had nearly sent Hanabusa through the roof. He watched as Kaname constantly saved that damned human girl time after time, breaking all rules of protocol. And that half vampire, that Level E, Zero he could barely stand it! It had taken months, but he had finally managed to stop thinking of her every day and this only gave more room for his frustration building towards the situation involving Yuki and Kaname. He was using it as much as possible to his advantage though. The more he became concerned with Kaname, the less so he was for Yori. He saw what was happening to her, but he was under strict orders not to be involved in that "game."

Hanabusa didn't dare admit that his irritation and inner madness was coming from his inability to act in favor of anyone at this point. He had moments where he was disgusted with all of the swooning girls around him every day before class. Other times he felt nostalgic and didn't feel much like talking or rising to anyone's bait. There were moments when he truly needed to get away from the others. It was this that drove him out of the Moon Dorms; his inability to act of his own accord. He had nowhere else to go except to the two others on the outside who knew him, the two who were least likely to kick him out. The idea of going to Yori nearly sent a wave of nausea through him; he hated the very idea of her rejecting him. The thought of her turning away was too much.

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"He's already eaten three servings!" grumbled Zero as he prepared to cook even more food. Hanabusa pretended not to hear the complaints coming from the kitchen. Finding little where else to go, he found himself at the Sun Dorms, as depressing as it was. He missed the confines of his room, but most certainly not the atmosphere. He needed to get away from the others.

Although he left one constricted situation, he ended up landing right back into another hellish one. He saw her every day. She was friends with Yuki after all and that made her more likely to appear without warning. He contemplated her presence constantly and yet there was little he could do to get away from her. What was the saying? Out of the pot and into the fire. He ate his food with a relish and zeal that annoyed the others, but honestly, he wasn't eating it all. Mysterious trays would appear in front of Yori's door, demanding to be eaten. Strangely, she did not mention these strange appearances of food, but Hanabusa was thankful to see that she would bring it down empty and place it gently to the side to clean. No thanks necessary.

Hanabusa didn't know what Yori thought of his presence at the Sun Dorms and thus far he had managed to keep it slightly under wraps, not wanting to face any mob of girls left behind during this break. With that thought, he realized it had now come full circle to a year. Despite having been around for longer than any normal human being, he felt the time slipping through his fingers. He truly had all the time in the world in accordance with his genetics. Just thinking of the fact that every year for him was like a small drop in a pool, but for humans it was one step closer to meeting their maker made him shiver. Yori was human and she too would fade from his life. The thought sent a sharp pain through his chest. He slowly reached up and placed his hand lightly over the pain, frowning slightly.

"What's the matter? Do you have heartburn?" came a voice from the entrance of the den. Hanabusa looked up from the cushy chair he had settled into in front of the fire to see Yori standing idly in the doorway, wrapped in a shawl, trying to keep the cold out. He uncurled slowly and stood up straight, refusing to say anything. He looked away from her and made to leave the room, which she effectively blocked.

"Move," he said quietly. Upon closer inspection Yori might have heard his plea beneath the surface, but she too had some inner frustration to mete out.

"Why do you continue to plague me?" she growled. Her hands clenched tightly at the shawl. "First you draw me into your sick game and then you throw me to the side only to come here of all places!"

"Move," he said warningly.

"You think that you won? You think that I am now your pawn to do as you will?" she said ruthlessly. His teeth grit together in an honest attempt not to respond.

"I told you once and I will tell you again, I will NEVER be yours to use as you please." He swung to shove past her, but she refused to budge. "Does it grate at you? Is that why you continue to act this way? Knowing that despite everything I can still move away from you as quickly as I please? The fact that I can forget you if I want?" The last pushed him into a flurry of motion. Yori wasn't sure what happened, one moment she was confronting Hanabusa and the next he had her pinned to the plush carpet, the fire casting shadows over his back. Her hands were held by two impossibly solid vices and no matter how she struggled, he was as if made of stone. His head hung low over hers, refusing to rise up and look her directly in the eyes. His breathing had grown somewhat labored. Yori couldn't help but show the shock on her face and the slight panic that welled up from within. She knew she had gone too far with the last shot at him because she knew him well.

"I won't let you forget me," he whispered viciously as his eyes finally connected with hers. Anger, betrayal, pain, and a mixture of confusion were mirrored in his red-tinted eyes. With a move equally as fast as the first, he descended upon her lips angrily. She yelped at the sudden contact and the slight sting of pain as his fang once again nicked her bottom lip. He sucked greedily at the liquid that squeezed out. She wanted to fight with all her might, but found that her body was not listening to anything she was telling it to do. She could only lay there hoping Hanabusa would not suddenly go into a bloodlust. Her eyes snapped wide as she felt his hands searching for a way through the clothing, finding it to be a barrier. He struggled with the hem of her skirt, pulling it high and simultaneously ripping away the shawl.

Hanabusa's tongue forced her to open up to him as he continued his quest. Everywhere he touched she felt a tremor and it took all she could to try not to react to the feelings he was invoking. Finally he found her and she let out a gasp intermingled with a sigh. He pulled back with a small crooked smile as he watched her reactions to his searching fingers. She looked away from him but a strong hand immediately grabbed her chin to bring her back around for another onslaught. Her body was melting, suddenly the room became too warm for her and she only wished to remove the extra layers. Hanabusa pulled open her blouse, forcing one of the buttons to fly off into the darkness, landing with a slight ping as it rolled across the floor.

Heavy breathing ensued as Hanabusa struggled quickly with his own clothing, trying to get closer to her warmth. By this time she had given up the battle and fully embraced him with her legs and arms as he entered her smoothly. Both let out a deep sigh in unison. Yori stared up into his eyes as he began to move. They were still filled with pain and anger, but it was overlaid with something else, something warmer. He let out a throaty groan as she tightened around him, forcing him into a faster pace. Yori kept with his rhythm and clung all the tighter to the back of his shirt. She was on the precipice now and he saw her ready to fly away. Leaning down this kiss was different. It was passionate, yet gentle and loving as she opened her mouth to scream her release. He followed soon after over the cliff.

Unlike last time, he did not lower himself on top of her and rest his body against hers. He disengaged and sat to the side, his hand frozen in his hair as one knee was bent up for his elbow to lean upon. Yori continued to stare up at the ceiling, not sure what to do, she was shocked and amazed yet completely outraged at the realization of what had just happened.

"Can you truly forget me?" Hanabusa finally croaked through a closed throat. Yori slowly sat up, never letting her eyes leave him. He wouldn't look at her; he continued to look at the ground.

"Aidou-sen…"

"Because I'll be damned if I can't forget you. I've tried everything but you won't leave me be. Everything was perfect before you, why can't I forget about you?" he said truly puzzled. Yori's eyes widened and then softened as the meaning finally settled upon her. She slowly reached out a hand and placed it under his chin, gently bringing him to eye-level. His were misting over. She smiled gently.

"Isn't it obvious?" she finally said. His eyes narrowed in an attempt to keep the moisture in, but one cursed tear slipped past. She leaned forward to kiss it away and as she did so his own eyes slid shut. He couldn't fight it anymore. He had struggled for over a year and this was where it ended for him. With a pained groan he turned his head so that their lips met and he hungrily began to kiss her again, his hands pulling her into his lap. She was so small, it was amazing the kind of person it housed. He felt himself growing again and he didn't care to stem it. Yori noticed instantly and smiled mischievously.

"Perhaps we could find somewhere more comfortable?" she suggested. His head leaned back to get a good look at her and found himself smiling in return.

"I think here is fine." In response she simply smacked him in the chest, enough to make him flinch. "Your room or mine?" The smile was contagious; the pain in his chest was finally alleviated.


	6. Chapter 6

The game had continued from that night on, weathering the storm that was slowly engulfing those around them and the only thing they could do to stay afloat was to cling all the more to one another. Despite that significant connection, there still laid beneath the surface a tension that threatened to rip apart whatever bonds they had formed. Hanabusa became miraculously jovial and then incredibly stoic. In matters involving Kaname and the Kuran family, his mood overshadowed the conversation. Truly he sought to learn what had happened to Kaname's family many years ago and that obsession grew in parallel with that of Yori. If his head was not buried in books, relics and covered in dust, then he was scouring the walls of the Sun Dorm immediately outside of Yori's room, anxiously waiting for her to open the window so he could pin her to wall, releasing the passion that had gathered throughout the days in between their night time affairs. It was becoming more and more difficult for him to concentrate on anything and Yori sensed it.

She grew tired of his sullen moods in the evenings after making love. Any girl would hope that the man she cares for would be just as happy to wallow in after-love affection then taking a sudden turn into the darker side. There was no such thing as pillow-talk for them. It was either passionate embraces or quiet companionship. However, he remained quiet and pensive in a way that lately shut out Yori. His head was currently cushioned on his hands one night as he stared at the ceiling. He had bitten her again and she had craved for it, even begged for it only less than an hour earlier, now nothing of the romance was left that evening. He was being plagued and he refused to allow her in. It was frustrating and made her want to screech at him and pull her hair. Instead she took a deep breath and counted to ten before finally raising her head and forced a smile.

"What are you thinking about? It must very serious to have you looking with such a face," she said as jokingly as possible. He glanced at her, distracted out of his reverie only to return to contemplating the small crack growing across the ceiling.

"Nothing," he said. It irked her; the simple one-worded responses he had grown habit to giving her. Yori tapped her finger absently against his chest. With a sigh she heaved herself up off the bed and grabbed her clothing discarded on the floor only an hour earlier. For a moment Hanabusa looked baffled by her sudden retreat. Her movements were slightly jerky and her body language indicated something had happened.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," she shot back his own wording, just as bluntly. He frowned, not appreciating her tone at all. He still had not adjusted to the blatant disrespect she threw at him whenever she was irritated. "You should go. I'm sure you're being missed by now," she said flatly over her shoulder as she slowly buttoned her blouse. The crease in his brow deepened.

"Are you kicking me out?"

"If that's what you want to call it." Yori turned around to face him as she stood in the middle of the room, not daring to move any closer to the bed, afraid he would pull her back in again. His expression demanded an explanation. "If you remain in your hole long enough you'll turn into a black-eyed goblin," she said matter-of-factly. "You're quiet, you don't speak to me anymore outside of when we," she blushed a little, "make love. I want to know what is bothering you. It has been weighing you down for a long time now." At this point he too had left the bed and was pulling on his pants, sliding one leg in after the other. Standing straight he pulled the buttons together in front. He looked at his fingers as he worked the piece of clothing, concentrating fully on this momentary task.

"It's really none of your business. It has nothing to do with you." His back straightened as he finally looked at her directly. He felt his heart skitter around in circles as he took her in, momentarily forgetting the tension. Yori leaned heavily on one hip and crossed her arms. Wearing simply her blouse, she stood like a warrior, no a goddess, or perhaps a siren, calling him back to her. Hanabusa found himself drawn to her again, but the look on her face showed complete annihilation if he dared try. What did he just say? He thought back for a moment and cursed under his breath. Her lips pursed and tightened; he saw her jaw working slowly. Here it comes…

Her response surprised him.

"Just go," she said in a tired voice, flapping her hand towards the window as she turned to her desk covered in her textbooks. That's right, she was studying before he had shown himself in through the broken window; the pane had yet to be fixed, but he kept destroying it, so she had given up replacing it.

The wind had left her sails momentarily, as she felt the aversion to fighting with him. It was not something she necessarily enjoyed, though at times it did give her a dangerous thrill down her spine.

"You're mad," he stated bluntly.

"Frustrated," she shot back.

"Angry."

"Irritated."

"Upset then."

"Fine! Call it what you want! The point is just because I'm not a vampire doesn't mean I would remain unaffected by the things that bother you."

"Stop, you're starting to sound like a typical hysterical woman," he growled as he turned away. The back of his head was hit smartly with a flying book. He cradled the abused area with his hand reflexively and turned around to face her.

"What in the hell are you doing?" he snarled. He never took kindly to pain and she was treading on dangerous grounds.

"Despite everything you won't admit anything of how you feel about me. It's obvious, but you're too afraid to say it out loud. I see it in you because I feel it too! After all this time you still shut me out!"

"It was never your place to be with me! It still isn't! Do you know what the others would do if they found out about us? Your life would never be the same. All of the nobles would know instantly! Do you know what they would do to me and my family? Our reputation as part of the noble class would irreversibly be distained." Yori was speechless.

"I see," she said quietly, her head lowered slightly as she glared up at him, her fists clenched tightly. "Well we certainly wouldn't want word getting out that you've had relations with a worthless human, would we?" Her eyes held a danger as well, he too had crossed onto dangerous grounds.

"Yori…"

"Go! Go back to your precious Kaname-sama! Because he certainly allows you the freedom you don't get from me right? That's why you follow him with your tongue lolled out, obeying his every whim and command. You all obey him without second thoughts! You become distracted every time his name is mentioned... Kaname-sama."

"Don't say his name," he said, rage welling up as she brought his master's name to the front. "Leave him out of this."

"How can I leave him out of this when he is the center of it all? I told you before that I watched you. You love him and THAT you're not afraid to admit. You love your pride as a vampire and everything that Kaname represents. Even now you are gripped by your self-centered world. That's why there's no room for me, isn't that right?" Too close, she was too close.

"You are not worthy of uttering his name," he grit out through a clenched jaw.

"You love me but you won't say it!" he remained stubbornly silent. "Why won't you say it?" she said viciously as she stalked towards him, but he still remained unmoving as he stared at her through dull eyes. "I'm here and I know more about you than even you are willing to admit."

"You know nothing about me. Don't use the word "love" so lightly here. You give it away too freely," he said, fatigue seeping into his voice. Yori could barely acknowledged his absence until she was staring at the open window, Hanabusa was nowhere in sight. Only a slight breeze moved in the room now.


	7. Chapter 7

Few students ventured to the custodial office, the man in charge there was decrepit and older than any of the other employees at the academy, even more so than the other guarding the Moon Dorms. He rarely spoke and his demeanor looked as though he was always contemplating something. Some of the girls liked to joke around that he was losing his mind and the only reason he stayed here was because the Chairman was too kind to kick him out. Yori ignored all of these insignificant rumors. Truly she did not care for what reason the custodian remained on campus, but she did need something from him and he was the only one who would understand not to ask questions.

As she entered the small office she saw the small clock clicking in the corner, the pendulum was strangely frozen in time. She frowned slightly as she took this fact in. Immediately ahead was the large desk covered in papers, bills, and half smoked cigars, one was still lit. A cat hissed from its position on the chair, eyeing her as she approached the hunched figure in his rickety wooden chair behind the desk. He wore small spectacles as he mumbled something incoherently over the paperwork.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, not wanting to startle him. She had knocked, but there had been no reply. The mumbling halted immediately as the old man's eyes rose to meet with hers. His face was crisscrossed ancient lines and a long jagged scar running along his right cheek.

"What can I do for you?" he said His voice was emotionless and flat. Yori liked him. "It's not another rodent problem is it?"

"Not quite a rodent issue. I need some bars over my window, ones that can sustain freezing temperatures." By now the cat had calmed and leapt into his master's lap. The old man eyed her slowly.

"And what would you need with these kinds of special bars. Winter is over."

"I need to keep something out," she said, refusing to give away anything else. Don't ask any other questions.

The corner of the man's mouth quirked up slightly. He knew and he wouldn't ask any other questions.

"It'll be taken care of by the end of the day." Yori smiled softly and gave her thanks, turning to leave without another word. "Be careful with these things. You're more likely to get burnt," he warned to her back as she stopped at his mysterious comment.

"I've already been burnt," she responded and continued out the door.

--

Hanabusa paced his room like an injured animal. Upon the return of all the other Moon Dorm members from vacation he had found that he was forced to return once again for his classes. He couldn't concentrate and he knew this was a result of the fight he had with Yori only less than a week earlier. Since then both had made a point of avoiding contact of any kind with one another. She no longer attended the evening rituals and more often than not he had told himself that he didn't care, despite it being a lie. He knew however that Kaname was watching him closely now. Since his behavior had changed so drastically, everyone knew he was feeling upset by all the strange events going on, but no one else with the exception of the pureblood, knew for what other reasons Hanabusa felt like ripping his hair out.

The separation was driving him mad. The other girls' attention was no longer able to sustain his need for attention. He only wanted Yori to look at him, no one else. Only briefly he had noticed that she was speaking with another student, a boy, and he had nearly lost it then and there. She dared to look with those eyes at someone else? To smile in response to another's words was strictly prohibited! She acted as if she remained unaffected by any of it. Perhaps she had not lied when she said she could forget him whenever she wanted. It threatened to rip him to shreds. She insisted on keeping him out, literally.

One night when things had been particularly unbearable, he had wandered to her room and found the new addition to her window. He gripped the bars and tried to force them from the wall. When this didn't work he resorted to freezing, but it refused to budge or give way. His frustration grew as he tried to reach through and unlatch the panes, but the bars were too close together.

"Yori," he roared. "What is the meaning of this?" There was no answer. Inside, she lay curled on her side in bed, facing the wall, as if asleep. He knew she could hear him. "Yori, open this window this instant!" Still no reaction. He shook the bars harder, slamming his fist against the barrier. His rage increased as he threw all the power he could into the unforgiving bars, still nothing. His growls of frustration were emitting from his throat as his anger began to overtake him. "I know you can't forget me! You think you can but the truth is that you will NEVER forget me because I won't let you!" he hissed through the window. Her shoulders began to shake slightly as she pulled the covers over her head attempting to shut his voice out as well. She still refused to respond.

Hanabusa's rampage continued on until finally he was worn and was left simply to sit on the ledge, pleading with her to let him in and not one word came from the girl on the other side. By morning he had given in and returned to his room, leaving him where he was now, pacing his floors.

This was a blatant affront to him and his person. It could not be allowed! He had to make sure she knew this, but she had successfully placed obstacles in the way of him being able to confront her. It was daring and exactly what he would have expected from her had he been thinking logically at the time.

Regardless, he would take matters into his own hands and force her to see the great tragedy she had committed.


	8. Chapter 8

The entire Moon Dorms were in an uproar and the Chairman was completely entrenched in the bureaucracy of the matter. Someone from the Night Class had entered the Day campus and sucked blood from a random unsuspecting victim and then manipulated her memory to make her forget what had happened. It was unheard of and no one would have suspected Hanabusa to have done such a deed. His pride was renowned by his classmates and to lower himself against the wishes of the purebloods to simply drink the blood of a human would have been as strange as him courting one.

The investigative team from the Night Class was composed of several of the key class members, Hanabusa included. He had successfully arranged it to be so and it frightened him that he no longer cared if Kaname knew what was going on. He saw only one goal and she stood behind thick stone walls, unbreakable bars, and an icy expression. He had never longed for anything more in his entire life.

It frustrated him that the team was not making moves to enter the dorms. Then it would not be so strange for him to corner her, specifically in her room if possible. No one would be the wiser. This is how his plan was to go in the beginning, but as time continued on; he found that it was not going to be that simple. The team was looking in all the "wrong" directions and he grew impatient.

Night had fallen and Hanabusa had decided to take on a solo act. There were few options left it seemed on the table. If nothing happened soon he would go mad. He had long since lost his cool exterior to the throes of his almost violent emotions. It was a noticeable difference and he ceased to care even more so that everyone saw it. He had to see her, he had to talk to her and if she didn't wish to talk, then he would make her, or simply eat her on the spot. His anger and passion were beyond even bounds of affection; it encompassed him and plagued him to the point of violence, quite possibly towards anyone who stood in his way. He jumped over the barriers, silently leaping from one shadow to another, zigzagging his way towards his destination. He had lost all focus except for his main goal; reach her. After that he didn't know what he would do. He scaled the outer wall now of the Sun Dorms. This was it. The last jump into a complete abyss of chaos; he had fallen so far and so fast.

His concentration was snagged in an instant as he felt his instincts peak. Something was behind him. Hanabusa was fast, but whoever it was, was faster. He was half way turning around to face that who which would oppose his advance but found himself slammed up face first against the wall. He was momentarily dizzy from the sudden impact and instantly he knew he had been caught and almost felt relieved. It was the end of a charade he had grown weary of over the last year.

"Hanabusa…"

"Kaname-sama…" He almost blurted out a, "Thank God." It was as if he had been hooked into a drug-needy state. Her every move and gesture required his undivided attention and perhaps Kaname would provide the necessary intervention that he needed.

"To think you are yearning for someone even if it might expose the Night Class to danger." Kaname let out a frustrated breath. "But you can't continue your pursuit. No matter how much you like the girl. You'll die if you continue, so I will make it so this doesn't happen again," he said to the tensely waiting Hanabusa.

He felt his relief and resolve completely shatter. This was not what he had expected. Anything, any kind of punishment was acceptable, but to explicitly involve HER was not an option. He had tried not to even consider it. His instincts told him to fight back, protect his mate; the bestial side of the vampire wanted to protect what was his, but the submission to the other always came first for vampires, especially if the other was a pureblood. He felt his heart quake at the thought of the frightened look on Yori's face. He knew she wouldn't fight either, she had stated this long ago, one of the things that had forced him to respect her as a human being.

"Please, don't touch her, Kaname-sama." She won't fight back... She won't scream... She won't resist... Even more heart-wrenching was the idea that his fool heartedness had forced these actions upon his lord and master, one who loathed practicing his authority in such a way.

"I will do what must be done," was the simple reply, yet it still carried the blow of a sledgehammer. He watched as the tall, dark lord walked away slowly into the shadows. There was nothing he could do to stop what he had set into motion.


	9. Chapter 9

Yori had resumed her studies as best as she could. That night, when he came to her, she did all she could from reacting to his cries, threats and pleas. She simply lay paralyzed in her bed, hoping that her lack of emotion would quench his anger, but only seemed to fuel it. She had been a fool to have allowed herself to fall for such a man... no, a vampire... and for her, the only thing she could do was run and hide, back into the shell that he had managed to strip away from her. It had left her vulnerable and unable to protect herself from the onslaught of emotions that now created her world of misery. It was a relationship they had silently accepted as doomed, but neither of them seemed strong enough at the time to end it. So, as a result, Yori took the first step, allowing herself to believe that the argument was what had initiated her actions to block him out physically and emotionally. In reality she was in too much pain to continue to bare hope in such a situation, knowing logically that it would never work out. He spoke the truth that night. They could not be together. If the others knew not only would she be in danger, but Aidou and his family as well. That was not acceptable.

After attempting to pull herself together once more, she tried to concentrate on the algorithms that lay untouched before her. She had seen Yuki less and less lately and she could feel the impending loneliness waiting at the doorstep every time she entered their room alone for the evening. It was a fear to be alone, yet at the same time something drew her to the inevitable dankness. Ever since the death of her father, her solitude was what she sought refuge in whenever things became too much to bare.

There came a light tapping at her door. Sighing, she stretched up with her hands above her head, trying to roll away the tightness that had gathered throughout her shoulders and lower back. She slowly stood and looked regretfully at her unfinished work and decided regardless of the stage to completion, she needed a break. Slowly she shuffled to the door and opened it a crack. Her eyes widened into saucers for a moment, fear portraying that she knew why this visitor had come.

"May I come in?" Kaname-senpai asked coolly. His eyes were dead; duller than usual. Something had happened that had triggered this unannounced visit. She hesitated before opening the door wider for him to enter. He took a moment to take in the room. This is where his precious Yuki slept in the few hours she could muster. Yori saw there was nowhere for him to sit but her desk chair and she opened her palm invitingly towards it. He shook his head and then continued to stare at her.

"Kaname-senpai…"

"Let me get straight to the point. You possess knowledge that could inevitably ruin everything the Chairman and I have worked so hard to create. You are a threat to everyone here and I am here to rectify this issue." Yori smiled and let slip a small 'hmph.'

"I see there is no getting around it, however don't be so sure that by simply manipulating my memories I will forget everything, because I will simply put it together once again. It's not that difficult to decipher what is going on here and I have kept my silence until now. Why are you suddenly raising this?"

"Don't play coy. I'm well aware of the relations you have had with Hanabusa and I am here to make sure that it doesn't continue." Yori's breath caught for a moment, but she took a second to collect herself, pointing to the window.

"As you can see I have already taken matters into my own hands and have prevented further contact." She was cut off.

"You think that those will keep him out if he is that determined? It isn't enough. If you are willing to allow me to erase everything from your mind of him, then I will promise not to tamper further with your memories. You can continue to keep the secret of Cross Academy. I have no doubt of your loyalty to Yuki and the school, however, your emotions are what guide you and that I cannot trust. It would be easier for you and him if you were to simply forget." Yori's clenched fists unfolded stiffly from their crossed position as she stared at a stained spot on the carpet.

"And if I refuse?"

"The results could be detrimental to your health," he said warningly. There are no other options Yori, take what I am giving you. The plea was quite obvious. He would never injure someone whom Yuki cherished, but if push came to shove...

"Wasn't the idea of this whole charade to create peace between the two races? To live within relative coexistence? How is my relationship with Aidou-sen… Hanabusa a threat to the Academy."

"It's a threat to the delicate balance we have established. We are still in the early stages and we cannot allow this to happen, it is too soon." Yori's eyes glimmered sadly.

"So even should we achieve relative peace, you are saying I cannot be with him anyway?" His silence answered her question. Her eyes slid shut slowly.

"Then do what you must," she whispered, her head hanging as Kaname took first one step, then another towards her. A rattling from outside could be heard.

"Yori! Yori!" Her head shot up, her eyes shocked and gratified to hear that desperate voice. Hanabusa stood outside gripping the bars in his shaking hands, clenched tightly. His face was as if someone had reached into his chest and was grasping his heart tightly. "Kaname-sama, no! Stop!" Kaname ignored the cries and continued to advance. Yori smiled gently, tears welling up and dropping quietly from her eyes down her chin, and landing upon her breasts. The pain was quite evident. Hanabusa froze his mad attempts to remove the bars.

"I love you, Hanabusa." He was speechless, he couldn't respond, even now the words were stuck somewhere in his throat. Then she was gone, Kaname's broad shoulders blocked her from view. It was best he did not witness this.

"NO! Stop! Yori!!" His broken cries echoed further into the night. A flock of birds took off, taking his angst with them.


	10. Chapter 10

Events seemed to pass quickly from that point on, people's lives began to move in a rhythm that was leading to an inevitable head that would determine everything once and for all. Kain had simply stopped interacting as he usually had done in the past. Shiki had definitely turned into something he was not, but no one could really bring this to Kaname's attention directly. Besides, knowing Kaname, he already was aware of the situation. Despite the rushing river below the surface, everything else seemed to go on in a regular rhythm. Before class the mob would come and be fended off by the prefects.

Yori was once again amongst the crowd and she stared on apathetically at the passing Night Class everyday and everyday Hanabusa allowed it to happen. It was for the best wasn't it? There had been no other options. Kaname had made that quite clear and all logic had pointed in this direction. Hanabusa felt himself settle back and try to hold in whatever remnants of sanity he had left. He had other things to concentrate his energy on and he wished to avert whatever darkness that was impending. He had to protect this sanctity that had become his own since enrolling at Cross Academy. Yori must be kept safe at all costs.

--

Yori wasn't sure what exactly had caused her so much angst and stress over the last several months. She wasn't sure where the source was and assumed that it had simply been studies, but suddenly a huge burden had lifted from her shoulders and she was more at ease, only to be replaced by a lingering awareness in the back of her mind. It felt as though another instinct laid hidden and awaiting its opportunity to rise to the surface and force her to acknowledge something that was inherently obvious to her. Despite the uneasiness, she tried to enjoy the relative relaxation she felt she had gained as if over night. Yuki had been more distracted with every passing day. Injuries were more common and the tension between Zero and her roommate were at record levels. She felt it was her job to and loyalty demanded that she try to distract her friend.

She had convinced the unusually stoical Yuki into the den. Yori smiled as she was saying something to her friend over her shoulder, opening the door. It was late and the lights were dimmed.

"Come on, it will be a distraction from whatever stress the Night Class is giving you." She knew the usual stress they gave her roommate, but just being vampires wasn't the only reason anymore, she was sure of it. She would not press Yuki though. Yori turned to face the den as they entered and froze. Yuki practically ran into Yori's inanimate body. She shook her head and glanced over her shoulder, but there wasn't anything out of place.

"Yori? What's wrong?" Yori's smile shook slightly as she raised her hand to her head, her eyes attached to a particular place on the floor.

"Nothing, just a strange feeling that is all. Come on, I challenge you! We have not played in ages!" Yuki smiled with fatigue.

"Yori I don't know…"

"Please? We hardly see each other anymore and I know that you are tired, but I want you all to myself just for an hour or so. Is that too selfish of me?" Yuki smiled, feeling she would give in right away. Yori never asked anything of her and a simple game would not be a bother at all, in fact she was looking forward to the distraction. It truly had been a while. Her smile was the affirmation Yori was seeking and she immediately led the other to a small square table sandwiched between two wooden chairs. The board had already been set and was ready for the challengers.

The game of chess went on well over an hour. Both competitors were surprisingly good. One move was consistently countered by yet another which was then countered by another in advance. Strategy had always been a strong point. In fact it was the game that had brought the two roommates together. Yori had been closed off, unsociable and distant from all the other girls. She had been playing a game by herself in the very same room with the same pieces when Yuki, this strangely cheerful girl had wandered up to her and asked if she could join in the game. Over the next several hours they learned more and more about one another and found that they were oddly compatible despite their juxtapositions in not only appearance but demeanor. Yori was startled from her reverie by Yuki's "ha!" She blinked a couple of times and noticed that her pawn now stood as a barrier for her very own next move and Yuki had taken complete advantage of her position, using her opponent's piece as her own.

"Your pawn has now become mine!" she said gleefully. Yori smiled; glad to finally see the glimmer of the person that had practically disappeared over the last year.

"Yes, perhaps in a way you could say I am your pawn now." Pain. It spread throughout the back of her head and down her spine. With a cry Yori placed her head tightly between her hands and gripped it intensely. She shuddered.

"_You will become my pawn…"_ Those blue eyes were looking at her again. She had the dream so many times where they continued to stare at her coldly in the dark, but she was strangely drawn to them.

"_You can't forget me because I won't let you!"_ The voice echoed off the walls of her mind as she stood, knocking over the chair and shaking the table.

"Yori? What's wrong?" Yuki jumped up in alarm as she began to rub her hand over her friend's back. "Wait here! I'll get the nurse!"

"No!" Yori grabbed her roommate's sleeve. "Don't!"

"But Yori…"

"Don't leave me!" Yuki sensed this was only partly directed at her. She hesitated as she pulled her friend into her arms as the other girl sobbed uncontrollably.

"Yori, what is it?"

"How could I forget? What have I done?"

"Yori?" There was no reply as the sobs continued to wrack the body of the petite woman


	11. Chapter 11

There had been a reason, right? It was so that the pain would no longer exist, she could go back to her mundane days of studies, daydreaming, and a self-imposed solitary state. It was also in part for the safety of her love for Hanabusa, but mostly it was in complete selfishness. She wanted to run again and as a result, she was sure she had given him more pain in the end than anything else. She cursed herself over and over again, but what's done is done. She tried to convince herself she had no other choice, and she truly didn't, but regardless, she had done it willingly and had even wished it to happen.

So she began to watch him again, just as she had done so long ago. She refused to make eye contact with him as usual. It was the act of the century, to pretend you were not in love with the person who loved you back. Pretend you didn't know that he knew. Simply pretending you didn't see the pain no one else saw.

After the floodgate of her memory had been shattered she made Yuki promise not to tell anyone of that episode, especially Kaname-senpai.

Yori watched as Hanabusa flinched whenever someone touched him or got too close. His smile wasn't true or genuine, not like the ones he gave her as she would let him in at night. It was an endless cycle that would never come to a conclusion in Yori's eyes, which forced her to fall deeper into her depression, once again losing the weight she had happily gained back during her time with Hanabusa and perhaps he noticed and then again, maybe he didn't. She couldn't tell anymore. How could he act so coldly to her? They had been through more than most, hadn't they? Perhaps the real challenge had yet to come.

------------------

Finally, the climax had arrived. The final piece was handed to Hanabusa as Kaname explained Yuki's true identity; his little sister. This would explain quite of a few of his sovereign's actions in the past. Hanabusa had never truly been forced to contemplate the complications of the purebloods. Truly, vampiresses were available everywhere and it did not require intermarriage between the nobles, but the purebloods were an entirely different matter. Hanabusa quietly thanked his background in this particular case. For the last month he had been slowly cursing it more and more harshly. He continued to keep a close eye on her, even when she went to her secluded place by the lake. He watched in the shadows, knowing better than to approach her. Kaname had allies in places even he was not aware of and he did not want to tempt trouble. He tried to remain satisfied simply staring at her naked figure as she dove into the water. It would take little to no time at all to simply leap in after her. She would remember him. She would remember everything and embrace him with open arms and then soon thereafter they would reunite into the bond that had drawn them so close before she had allowed Kaname-sama to remove her memories. Some days he felt it was asking too much of him not to allow his dreams to become reality, but in the end he would relent to his inner most logic as a vampire and let go of any fantasy of approaching Yori.

The orders came down quickly from the top. An imminent danger loomed within the campus and all students were to be quarantined into their designated dormitories. With the sudden encroaching threat, the dorm leaders were informed not to allow anyone outside the buildings on the school grounds. They were under strict orders, upon threat of doubling their tuition. Yori had no desire to wander outside except for the possibility to find Yuki, but she knew in the recesses of her mind that if Yuki was out there, the last thing she wanted was for Yori to be there as well, so she held herself still and resisted the urge to go outside. She swayed from uncertainty, fear, and moments of fiery determination, her emotions were in complete turmoil. She hated ambiguity, especially in cases such as these.

Something drew closer, more dangerous by the moment and it made Yori worry for her best friend's safety. It made her worry about Hanabusa's safety. Every person on that campus and in town was in danger at that very moment and she felt frustrated by her inability to do anything. She did the best she could by simply bringing along an extra set of clothing for Yuki should she finally show up. She couldn't explain why her friend would need it, but as the girls were being hustled into the den Yori felt the need to grab the uniform.

Despite the urgency of the moment Yori managed to find some excuse to return to her dorm room. She couldn't stand the thought of having to lie in wait of what may come. In the den she felt trapped, like a lamb waiting for the slaughter. It wasn't until she stood vacantly staring at the room before her that she realized how alone she felt there, but at least here she could guiltlessly allow herself to think about her past transgressions. Yori slowly wandered closer to her desk and placed her hand lightly on the back of the chair, staring into the nothingness of the clean surface of the desk. Where was he? Was he safe? She was sure that he would be all right. His incredible arrogance would serve him in this purpose. He would never allow anything to happen to himself. Then her thoughts wandered to Yuki. Things most certainly had changed for her friend and she felt an ever growing void when she realized how far her friend had fallen from her. Yuki had truly been the one to stand by her side despite thick and thin. It seemed as though the evening was culminating on a constant feeling of loss for everything she held dear. It was almost unbearable.

Yori stood frozen in place as the windows of her room were suddenly flung open. The bars had been literally ripped from the wall on the outer edges and hung in a disheveled state. Before her stood a tall, lean figure of a man and her heart sank immediately upon focusing on his eyes. This was not a Night Classman; he was someone who was dangerous, someone not to be taken lightly and he had no intention of guarding her safety. She sucked in a breath quickly as she forced out the question she already knew the answer to, "Who are you?" He smiled cruelly as the side of his lips quirked upward.

"My master is returning and we are gathering a warming gift for him," he said in almost a snake like way, his tone was oily and sly, nothing like Hanabusa's deep, robust voice. It made her shiver. He lunged for her without further explanation and Yori prepared for the worst. Her eyes slid shut, not wanting the last image to be of this quickly approaching creature.

"_I won't fight in these situations."_

"_I won't let you forget!"_

"_Yori…" _Hanabusa 's face flashed before her eyes. Yuki smiled at her happily. _"Yori…" _Her mother held her gently in her arms after her father's death. _"Yori…"_ They had all left her there and this was how it was to end? She felt anger at first and then a complete resignation. It had been her fault in many ways. She had pulled away from those she loved and for a matter of time she thought it had been in protection of herself, but truly it was cowardice.

It took her a moment to realize that the ensuing attack had halted. The man stood frozen with his eyes wide and puzzled. He glanced down at the large spears of ice lanced throughout his body only to shatter into dust as his life left him. It was over so quickly and it left Yori standing with her legs knocking together as she took in the silhouettes of two others in the window. Yuki! Despite the obvious difference in length of hair, it was still Yuki, but something was different; something had changed. Yuki's face was sad, as if a veil had been lifted and what was revealed to her was a scene of carnage.

"Yori… I'm sorry, I am what that was." Yori felt relief well up within her. Whatever inner-struggle her best friend had been facing was finally revealed, at least now they would be able to move forward together, right?

Yori took a moment to absorb this sudden change and also to take in Hanabusa's presence. He stood coldly behind her friend in the window sill. His arms were crossed nonchalantly across his chest, waiting for something else to happen. Though, his eyes never left her. She felt her insides twist in a whole new direction. Fear lanced through her. Did he know she had recovered her memory? Was he furious? She didn't care, it was simply enough to look at him and see that he was alive and well. It was too much. Yori launched herself at Yuki, the closest and most unassuming target. Her arms embraced her distraught friend.

"Baka! I thought you wouldn't return… as my best friend." The meaning was quite apparent to her, perhaps not so much for A Hanabusa or her companion. Her eyes fluttered momentarily to Hanabusa, but tried to shut them before he saw her. This simple action of holding someone else was temporarily enough to release the pent up angst that had been building throughout the last several hours.

"Yori…" Her arms tightened even more, wanting to squeeze the life out of the other girl. She had lost too much in her young life. Already she had begun to acknowledge herself as the forever doomed victim of misfortune.

Another figure suddenly appeared, interrupting the moment; Kaname. He looked meaningfully at Yori, before taking Yuki into his arms as well. Yori listened sadly as he stood trying to convince her friend to leave them behind and she wanted badly to reach out and hold her friend once again, but she hesitated. A wall was building slowly between them; she felt it with every passing moment, the same wall that forever separated her and Hanabusa. She glanced up briefly only to look away quickly. He was looking intensely at Kaname and his jaw was clenched. Her heart felt a vice wrap around it once again, tightening and squeezing it. It was a reminder. This was what was important to her ex-lover and this is why he would never be hers. His love for his master and friend was too great to overcome. The loyalty was apparent and a bond that she could not even begin to fathom. She needed to let him go. She had to if she were to survive, if they were both to survive.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted as Kaname suddenly gave an order to Hanabusa. His eyes warning, seeing as he had no other choice at that moment.

"Hanabusa, take Yuki's friend to a safe place." Hanabusa nodded jerkily and reached for Yori's hand. She resisted. Her eyes were riveted to Yuki, she felt an impending doom, as if this was the last time she was going to see the other girl.

"Don't make a fuss," growled Hanabusa under his breath as he hauled her away. Surprisingly, she listened. She gave in to the inevitable; she didn't even have an opportunity to say goodbye. Her mind was one that worked two steps ahead in logic. If she resisted and fought, it would not accomplish anything, so why try? He hauled her down the hallway and with every step she felt pain seeping away into an even more terrifying numbness. She had lost everything… everything! The doors passed by with an incredible speed and ferocity. Hanabusa's grip tightened on her painfully as they completely left the confines of the dorm.

Their advance was suddenly blocked by another unfortunate vampire. Hanabusa quickly disposed of the other without hesitation. A world where a vampire killed his own without hesitation and human followed with little thought. It was a world of chaos.

Yori couldn't even feel the need to cry anymore. Though it had slowly been growing over the last several months, this was it for her. Why care anymore? The one she loved would never return her feelings. Her only true friend was to be taken away. The one place that gave her quiet and serenity was being destroyed as she stood there watching. Her world was crumbling.

The two escapees had finally reached the tree-line and it looked as though Hanabusa was not going to stop until he had reached a safe location, one of which she had no idea existed at that moment. It was partly out of surprise, but also one of desperation when she saw the other amongst the trees. She had seen him first and sensed it coming, the piercing energy in the form of an arrow, aimed at Hanabusa's back. She was selfish. She wanted to not feel anything anymore and the idea that he would be injured on the account of her was the final blow to her hold on everything. She jumped without thinking. Grabbing hold of his shoulders, knocking him down mid-stride as it pierced her upper shoulder. She grit her teeth against the pain that spread throughout, putting and immediate hold on the cry that wished to escape her lips.

Hanabusa had been running quickly simply because he wished to not let go of her. As long as he kept moving, she would have to remain by his side. His full concentration was on reaching his destination and that is why he had not been aware of the oncoming attack. His heart stopped when he felt her impact against his back and slowly he turned midair as they began falling to the ground together. His arms reached out to envelope her and break her fall. She must have tripped, was his immediate conclusion, but then he could smell it; blood. His eyes widened and flared and he felt his fangs grow ever so slightly. Looking down he felt his gut twist into knots, catching just in time the vanishing shape of an arrow lodged in her back. Sweat had begun to drop from her brow as her body curled up in a defensive manner, trying to ward off the pain.

"It wasn't aimed all that well," she grumbled, half trying to distract herself and at the same time attempting to dissipate the shocked look on Hanabusa's face. "I guess I was a bit clumsy," she smiled slightly, but the movement forced the pain to seer through her faster. She clenched her body into a ball.

"Foolish girl, you got in the way," came a voice from the shadows. Another woman stepped out. She was gorgeous, pale, elegant and composed; everything that Yori felt she was not. Her eyes wandered to Hanabusa, whose face had now become slated over in stone, he was dangerous.

"Hello Hanabusa-kun," she purred seductively. "It has been a while."

"What are you doing here, Rora," he hissed as he gently moved Yori off of his chest and on the ground, then stepping in front of her defenseless frame.

"Is that such a way to greet your ex-lover?" The statement hit a nerve. He glanced back at Yori reflexively who was purposely keeping her eyes closed; she had suddenly started shaking. The woman's violet eyes slowly looked at the girl behind Hanabusa and she smirked sardonically.

"Is she the one? The one everyone has been talking about? The one you took over me?" Her voice remained cool and at ease, but there was a hidden pool of anger and outrage. "It is too bad I had not aimed for her first. It doesn't matter though, because it will soon be irrelevant. Our master is returning and before this happens I will dispose of you two. However, perhaps I shall make you watch as I slowly eat your little human toy." Hanabusa stiffened and positioned himself defensively.

"Just because you are a woman, I will not go easy on you," he said furiously. "I won't allow you to touch her." He hesitated. "She is an important person to Yuki and she is important to Kaname-sama." The woman saw through his weak excuse.

"Is that so? You would go so far as to protect a human. Although, she does look delicious and her blood is so enticing; can't you smell it?" She inhaled deeply and put on an air of pleasure. Hanabusa 's instincts were to do the same, take in as much of the beautiful aroma as possible. "Perhaps you would like to join us? We could present her as a gift to our master together, perhaps he would even leave a little for us as well." Ignoring the vampire within, Hanabusa launched himself before he had even thought of doing so.

"Don't touch her!" Ice flared from his splayed fingers surrounding his opponent, but her energy effectively eliminated his onslaught. She moved quickly as well, her long gown did not hinder her movements in the least, but she had not seen the growing sea of ice surrounding her. Despite trying to avoid the sudden appearance of an icy lake, it only took one wrong move before she was ensnared within its confines. She had banked on his pride as a vampire and ex-lover not to attack her so ferociously. It was a deadly assumption.

"You would not kill one of your own! You could not!" she said uncertainly as the ice slowly moved higher above her waist. She uselessly flung one wave of energy after another into the encroaching encasement, only slowing it temporarily before it advanced once again. Hanabusa said nothing as he stared at her blankly, emotionless. She couldn't struggle or win against such strength and the realization heightened her bitterness.

"You have fallen so far, Hanabusa. That human will not last, they are too fragile. She will disappear as will all the others. They are encased in a time that we will never be member of."

"Silence," he growled lowly. The ice's advance sped up rapidly and encased the other completely, cutting off any dying words. The silence that followed was deep and thick, difficult to leave and save oneself from. Hanabusa turned around and stared at Yori who was now sitting up clutching her shoulder.

"Why did you do something so reckless?" he scolded, the poison on the tip of his tongue was tasting horrible to him, but it was the only way to hide the mounting frustration he felt for this situation. She did not answer right away, gathering herself to lie for his sake.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. I was running and the next moment something hit me from behind. What is going on? Where is Yuki anyway?" feigning shock and confusion. The ploy worked. Hanabusa let out a sigh, not of relief, something completely different.

"Let's go," he said stoically. He leaned down and scooped the unsuspecting girl into his arms and took off running again. With every footfall Yori's shoulder was jarred and she grit her teeth not to cry out from the throbbing pain. At one point her vision seemed to fade, but she made a conscious effort to stay awake, no matter what was to come.


	12. Chapter 12

Hanabusa was not sure of the best place to take Yori, being as she was injured and trailing a bloody scent behind them. At this rate they would have the rest of the vampires surrounding them in moments and he knew he could do little to save her then. He refused to acknowledge the possibility of her being eaten before his very eyes. Hell would freeze before he would allow it to happen. His grip tightened noticeably.

"Aidou-senpai… it hurts…" Hanabusa glanced down at her and his eyes gentled as he saw he had been holding her too strongly and his grip loosened only slightly as he approached the only place he could think of sanctuary. The stairwell circled down further into the bowels of the Moon Dorms. Yori had simply kept her eyes screwed tightly closed as he quickly descended into the faintly lit passage. It wasn't until he had stopped that she opened them to find they were standing in a dank cellar.  
"Where are we?" she said with a muddled voice, taking in her surroundings. The air was musty down here.

"Somewhere safe. This cellar used to house the body of a great vampiress. She has since left and I believe it will be safe for now." He gently set her down on the ground, next to where the vampire who had sucked Zero's blood once had lain. She sat quietly glancing around like a caged animal and then finally settling her unnerving gaze upon him. For a moment he simply looked at her before taking a step back. The blood was intoxicating at this distance and he felt the need to retreat, but Yori's pained face made him hesitate.

"Aidou-senpai, I'm sorry for being such a burden. I am sure that Kaname-senpai is taking care of Yuki…"

"Don't think this makes you special…" he turned his back on her.

"But I am… aren't I?" she whispered. He froze and looked over his shoulder, his heart racing wildly against his chest, screaming to be let out.

"What?" Yori swallowed loudly, realizing she had spoken without thinking.

"I mean Yuki is so precious to Kaname-senpai so it is only natural that I should take on some of that special status, right?" she said lamely. Hanabusa faced her now full on and she felt as if she were cornered and would have to fight viciously to recover the ground that had been lost.

"Any other reason you think you're so special?" he said pointedly, almost tenderly. Yori felt the corners of her mouth shake before she strengthened her resolve.

"No other reason, Aidou-senpai. Thank you for rescuing me."

"You are simply a pawn in this game," he said deliberately, waiting for her reaction. Her eyes remained calm and empty, as if she was not fathoming the meaning of his words. Below the surface however the furnace of turmoil heightened beyond endurance. With a sigh Aidou turned once again for the stairwell.

"Where are you going?" Yori said almost in a panic, it must have been apparent because Hanabusa hesitated once again. She took a deep breath. "Won't my blood draw the vampires here?" _Don't leave. _She shifted so she could bring her shirt up over her upper back. "Please, get rid of it. I don't want to have them find me," she said quietly. She curled forward, hoping he did not notice her trembling. This was foolish, she knew this, and she knew that he could just as easily refuse, but all of her fears and inhibitions left the moment she felt his two hands rest gently on her shoulders from behind. His searching lips found the wound and licked away the dried blood, taking on the little that had seeped through that which had already dried and clotted. Yori bit her lip trying not to groan, bringing back the memories of their steamy nights with one another. Aidou's tongue darted out gently and tested the tender area before moving in strongly to wipe away the remnants of what was left.

"Yori…" His voice was pained as his hands tightened on her shoulders. "How could you forget me?" he said as his lips rested gently against her skin. His breath danced warmly across her skin, sending shivers throughout her body. Yori's hands balled tighter around her arms. It was no good! She just couldn't stand it. The pain he felt was so evident that she too could feel it in her own body.

"I could never forget…" Hanabusa's head lifted slowly, his hands slowly turning her so she was facing him. She looked down at the ground but that wasn't good enough for him. His fingers gently wrapped around her chin and forced her eyes to meet his.

"You remember?" Her lips shook as she tried to smile. Her eyes seemed to tear up. It was one of the saddest things he had ever seen.

"Everything." Hanabusa shot forward and threaded his hands in her hair, pulling her in tightly. His lips devastated hers relentlessly as his grip held her head tightly to his as if he wanted to consume her completely. The desperation he felt was as raw as his breathing as he shifted so he was above her, overpowering her. He was on his knees, looming over her seated figure. He wanted to say so many things, but the words weren't there, so the only thing left was for his actions to tell everything. His pent up need and passion and desire came to the surface as his lips constantly danced over hers. Every time he tried to pull away to say something he found himself moving back again to find her lips, afraid she would suddenly turn away, but she too was responding in like. Her own hands were placed on either side of his face, pulling him in just as forcefully. His hands wandered over her neck, her breasts and waist, his grip was tightening and caressing as the same time. Finally he mustered enough sense to try to say something in between kisses.

"You fool!" He gripped her tighter and lunged in for an even harder kiss, almost painful; punishment for what he had gone through. "I told you I wouldn't let you forget." His tongue darted out and forced a slow, tantalizing line along the jaw. Her eyes slid shut, finally drinking in what she had been craving for so long. He pushed himself into her space harder, practically moving her along the floor. His legs straddled her on either side. "Do you know what I've been through?" He gently nibbled her earlobe. "How many days I have dreamt of you?" His hands were feverishly touching her everywhere. One cupped her breast while the other reached behind her pulling her blouse from her skirt; a slight ripping sound could be heard as one of the sleeves gave way slightly. "The torture of seeing you everyday!" He then allowed himself to gently bite her neck, not enough to draw blood. The gesture forced her to groan audibly. "How much I've wanted to hear your cries for me…" His lips encased hers once again. His rampage was suddenly stopped as her hands shoved him away at arm length, simply to recover her breath.

"Yes," she said breathlessly. "Because I felt it as well." Hanabusa took a moment to absorb this and a smile of pure joy wrapped its way around his mouth. He was upon her again. Pushing her down on the ground hard this time, but instantly her cry stopped everything. Hanabusa's eyes widened as he was rudely reminded of her injury.

"And you did jump in the way! Didn't you?" he roared, pulling her back to him and ripping away her blouse in the same instance. He gently turned her and probed the wound further, finding it had already begun to heal. The kisses and suckling had already taken its effect and it would be healed within a matter of days if she was lucky. Yori smiled slightly.

"Guilty," she said finally. Hanabusa was furious.

"Guilty? That's all you have to say after…" he stopped. Yori's face was so alight with happiness he couldn't continue. It was beautiful and water for a parched man. He let out a deep sigh, his eyes softening. "What am I to do with you?"


	13. Chapter 13

Yori was one of the most stubborn women he had ever met. Short of holding her forcefully with a ball and chain, there was little he could do convince her to stay safely within the cellar. Even then she would probably gnaw her foot off to get out. She refused to stay peacefully where he knew he could find her once again because he was just as stubborn about going back to Kaname-sama's side. Their past problems rose to the surface only moments after reuniting.

"You are going back out there aren't you? You wouldn't leave Kaname-senpai, would you?" Yori demanded as Hanabusa had made moves to return to the fray. She too then made moves to follow.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said in agitation.

"I'm going back too. I'll wait with the others. I won't leave them there and sit down here without knowing what is happening to everyone else. Yuki is there as well and I most certainly will not be abandoning her!"

"Stay put! For all that lives and breathes, just stay put!" he pleaded. Her face was set fixedly with her arms crossed stubbornly across her chest as best her sore shoulder allowed.

"You would not abandon Kaname-senpai and why should I abandon Yuki?" Bull's-eye! Hanabusa ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He was many things, but he was not a hypocrite, not in cases of Kaname-sama.

"You have no idea what is waiting for you up there."

"And neither do you."

"Have you always been this obstinate?"

"Yes." Hanabusa stared at her ferociously, not expecting such a blunt and honest answer. With a sigh of exasperation, he threw his hands up in the air and paced in a circle.

"What do I need to do to convince you?"

"Nothing."

"What do you plan on doing when you get up there?"

"Nothing."

"Do you think you can actually battle those fiends?"

"No."

"So what is the point?"

"Because I can't sit passively as much as you are unable to do the same!" Another mark, two for Yori, zero for Hanabusa. "I'm going whether you like it or not." Hanabusa debated on tying her up, but then rethought the struggle that would ensue and with her injury it was best for her not to strain herself too much. Yori stalked towards the stairwell and all Hanabusa could do was follow. How in all the rings of hell did he get strapped to such a woman? It was unfathomable.

In the end there was little left he could do but escort her back to the scene of her attack. He watched her intensely as she changed her bloodied uniform. She felt embarrassed despite having undressed before him many times. She shook off any attempt of him helping her, knowing full well that in the past he had used the opportunity to seduce her into doing whatever he wanted. When he realized that she had only one goal in mind and no amount of seducing, coaxing or threatening would stop her, he stood back and pouted in a dark corner, waiting for her to finish cleaning up. He glanced at the broken window. Now why in the hell couldn't he have done that? His thoughts were interrupted when Yori let out a small breath as she smoothed her dress into place. Her movements had grown slower and with less purpose. He noted briefly that her hands were trembling slightly. Perhaps it wasn't too late to drag her back. Then his eyes met hers and he knew that it was impossible. They were both in this together and a battle was raging outside that would determine the future of the one place they could call home; the place that had brought them together. They were equally involved.

"Yori…" She stepped forward and grasped him tightly around the neck as best she could and kissed him deeply. He was surprised by her forwardness. Just as the embrace became heated Yori pulled away and rested her forehead against his as he leaned down towards her. Tears were forming in her eyes and she was breathing through mouth in big, steadying gulps.

"Please don't die," her voice was small as she held back what she could. "Don't leave me," she whispered. Hanabusa smiled gently as he reached up and withdrew her clasped hands. He held hers gently in his own, staring at their combined fingers before speaking.

"I will return to you. I always have," he finally croaked out.

"I know…" she said again as their lips gently brushed one another, not searing as before. Their hearts were racing, knowing full well it could very well be the last time they would see each other.

"If you're afraid just look at this," Hanabusa released her hands briefly to pull off a ring, his family crest. It had been passed on for generations upon generations of vampires. Yori gasped slightly, not being able to fully acknowledge the meaning behind the item, but felt the momentous worth of this gesture. He placed it carefully in her small palm, it was so large there. He kissed her forehead as he folded her fingers around the ring that had been bestowed upon him by his grandfather. Hanabusa ran his fingers caressingly across Yori's cheek as she looked up at him.

"I'm afraid now," she finally confessed.

"I know, me too," he replied as honestly as he had ever done in the past.

"I love you, Hanabusa," she whispered, still refusing to leave his gaze. He faltered and his eyes squinted into a pained look. And she… she smiled… He felt his heart clench tightly. Even now he could not say it and he cursed himself, why was he holding back, now of all times? "Remember your promise, come back to me and make me your pawn," she finally released him. 

He lunged in for one last desperate kiss before disappearing out the window, leaving her to stare after him as she had done so many times before.

Finally, as the wind seemed to dance around through the broken window, Yori stared blankly down at the ring clutched tightly in her hand. Her eyes slid shut with the remaining fear and the next moment they opened they were filled with determination. Tonight was when they would meet their maker and she would go kicking and screaming the entire way.


	14. Chapter 14

Hanabusa followed what his instincts told him to move towards. Those who stood in his way instantly perished and with little hesitation. Two people remained firmly within his vision and they never wavered from that place; they must be protected at all costs, their suffering and sadness could not be tolerated if he could help it. Their happiness and suffering was his and for whatever reason, he was going to sacrifice everything to make their dreams be realized. Two stood before him and then none, three stood in his path and he disposed of them. Human or not, they stood in his way to accomplish his goal. Finally he stood before the ultimate villain, the one who had reached into their world and torn everything apart from the inside.

And yet in the end he could not resist the alluring voice that beckoned him to come forward, bare his neck and blood. Present everything that was his to someone he did not know. All he could feel was the desire to complete that which was ordered of him. Hanabusa teetered on the edge of oblivion, knowing full well that it would be his last move should he step forward, but having no way of stopping himself. He fell forward, ready to give Rido everything he asked for and more. Yori and Kaname-sama stood upon the peripherals of his mind watching in horror as he willingly plummeted towards his inevitable end.

He would never admit relief in seeing Yuki, but in this particular case he was very close to smothering the girl in affection. She appeared from nowhere pulling him from the beckoning voice, one that said to give himself over to the other. She had lunged and pulled him from harm's way, from letting go of everything and from that moment Hanabusa felt as though he hated himself. Truly and horribly, he wished to die for just a moment. Those hands that had called for his arrival withdrew and the fingers that had ensnared his mind relented as Yuki had forced him from the trance that had encompassed him. Purebloods could control anyone below them. They had the power to force others to do whatever they wished regardless of status or protocol.

He cursed himself for years afterwards for having allowed himself to have fallen so easily prey so easily to such a ploy. Only moments later did he find himself in yet another situation where he was free falling towards the ground. Shit this was not working at all in his interest. He landed gracefully and stood below as events began to quickly unfold above on the rooftop. It looked as though Zero was there as well, but something was quite different from before. How could everything move so fast? He barely had time to comprehend that Yuki was now falling from the building as well and at that moment he realized that it was so high up. There's no way that she would land safely as he had only moments earlier. He rushed to try to break her fall and catch her only to be crushed under her feet as she landed perfectly on his back.

That's right, she was a pureblood after all.

Once he had recovered from the sudden impact and battering to his pride as a suave rescuer Yuki surprised him with her next request.

"Go comfort the girls in the Sun Dorms." What?! That he had not expected.

"Kaname-sama wanted me to protect you, though it doesn't seem I'm of any use here." Her eyes narrowed seeing that he had not caught the hint.

"You're the only one who can do it," she said meaningfully. He had to give the girl credit, whatever he had with Yori, Yuki was quite aware of the chemistry. To save his pride she gave him a pleading look with clasped hands.

"Please?" For a moment he saw something of what Yori could see in this girl. Yuki was sending him away for his own protection and he was aware of this. She was also sending him away for Yori as well. It was far too complicated to point out, but the meaning was just as potent.

In the end he agreed and as he wandered back towards the Sun Dorms he felt helpless. The same way Yori must have been feeling at that moment. Just because his own vampiric blood was his weakness to the purebloods, it disabled him from doing anything! He took it out on everyone else as he went, the trees, the flowers, the other vampires who stood in his way. A path of frozen devastation followed him the entire way to the Sun Dorms. A descendent of one of the most powerful vampire lines and he couldn't even protect his lord and master against such rot. It was truly maddening.

----------------

Upon arrival, he found that the girls dorm was in an upheaval. It was near mutiny as all the girls were crowded in front of the door yelling and hollering at the dorm president.

"Why can't we leave? What is out there? Where's the chairman? Who put you in charge? We want answers now!" The president tried to stave off their angry outcries, but found it completely overwhelming; her voice was lost in the din of the others' frustration and skittishness. Hanabusa knocked softly and opened the door from the outside, peeking in and all cries of anger miraculously became shrieks of happiness and glee. It slightly hurt his sensitive ears, but he easily covered this fact.

"Idol-senpai! What are you doing here? Have you come to save us? What is going on outside? You're not hurt are you?" The questions bombarded him from every side and with a practiced smile he waved them into silence. His usual self arose to the surface once again, placing on the mask they all knew and loved.

"Ladies, I have been sent here to keep you company and to reassure you of the steps that are being taken to ensure that the campus is safe for you to grace your presence. It seems that we have an intruder and for everyone's safety, Kaname-senpai and the Chairman have requested that everyone stay indoors and cooperate fully." The girls pouted slightly, but were once again elated to see Hanabusa stare lovingly upon them. "This is my task and it would be so kind of you all to help me in making sure everything is in order within the Sun Dorm." They all sighed unanimously as he worked his charm around them. The president took this opportunity to grab the reigns and take control once again.

"Everyone get comfortable. You, close the blinds! You, make sure that all the doors and windows are locked from the inside. You, over there, make sure that the West Wing has been closed off." Aidou scanned the crowd of girls as they suddenly ran to do as they were bid. He quickly realized that Yori was not amongst them. He leaned over slightly and whispered to the president.

"Excuse me, Dorm President, would you happen to know where I might find Wakaba-san? I have a message for her from Yuki." The president nodded eagerly, glad to give up anything helpful for Idol-senpai.

"Yes, yes, she went to gather blankets for the girls. She should be back momentarily." Hanabusa smiled pleasantly and thanked her gracefully, kissing her hand. She swooned. He paid her no mind as he slowly edged his way out of the room, trying very hard not to be noticed. It was difficult, but somehow he had managed to slip out of the main corridor. He let his senses guide him. He was slightly irked that they were initially off, as he checked the entire lower storage rooms only to find the blankets had not been touched. Where in hell did that girl go?

Hanabusa sped up his pace as he approached the upper floor, trying to make his senses detect anyone's presence. Still no sign of her. He became anxious now as he practically ran from one hallway to another. She was nowhere to be found and it irked him that he was not able to be the one to detect her location. He of all people should be able to accomplish something as simple as this! He grit his teeth, nicking his fangs by his lower teeth with a dull click in the process. He knew she was up to something, but did not have a clue as in to what. He knew long ago he could never control her and she made him perfectly aware of this, but he was damned if he'd allow it without a fight. The hunt was on.


	15. Chapter 15

Yori ran outside, hoping that the back entrance had covered her departure from the rest. As she had told Hanabusa, she was not going to sit back idly and watch as everything around her crumbled away into dust. If they were going to fight for their world, she would die trying to protect it. Hanabusa would fight, he was out there right now defending everything they held dear; he was defending her. She would not allow him to hold that over her head to top it all off. She would stand while she could and retreat when necessary. She was not stupid enough to take on a vampire head on in a one-on-one fight. Instinctively, she knew that the custodian hid more than he showed and she had guessed correctly. If he had something that could stop Aidou-senpai's advances, then he was bound to have something even more powerful.

Yori ran around to the unguarded side of the building. She was sure of this because she had checked to see all lines of defense and found this area to be lacking. No sooner had she arrived at her guarded position when a shadowed figure stepped from beneath the surrounding trees. He smiled sadistically as he eyed her "defenseless" figure.

"I see that one has wandered from the flock," his voice said melancholically. One foot fell forward, then another, very slowly, testing and waiting for his prey to react. She did not, she stood waiting for his next move.

"You are not afraid, I see," he observed. His hair was longer, wavy and slicked back carefully. He was handsome, like Aidou-senpai, but she felt nothing towards him, just as she did the others. He was simply someone who wished to take away her happiness, the little that she felt she had at Cross Academy.

"Don't come any closer," she feigned fear, real or not. He raised his hand towards her, palm up, taking in this sudden release of emotions.

"Don't be afraid, my dear. I will protect you. Come here to me and I will take you somewhere… safe." Yori's eyes narrowed, raising her gun without another thought. The round let off a jolt, wreaking havoc on her arm, tearing open the wound Hanabusa had so lovingly tried to heal. She had lied, her experience with guns were minimal. Only for a day had she handled guns during her self-defense courses. Regardless, he was caught off guard and was directly in the path of the large cross headed in his direction. It encompassed him completely and he barely had enough time to let out a cry of pain or anger. He was gone, disintegrating into a pile of ashes. Yori stood wide-eyed as she took in the damage she had wrought. Her eyes fell upon the gun as it still smoked in her tight grasp, it felt warm to her skin. She nearly dropped it upon reflex, feeling an automatic fear of the power that lay within her hand. This was something that could kill Hanabusa, it was crafted specifically for that purpose. It made her feel sick to her stomach.

Yori's self-loathing was interrupted by a rustling within the bushes. Another came for her and then another and at one point there were at least two who attempted to bring her to her knees, but her stubborn aura showed through and led her to the bitter end of each fight, each finishing with the vampire in a pile of dust. Sweat beaded her brow as she waited for the arrival any others to follow. It wasn't simply the strain of remaining calm and focused, because one slip would be the end of her, it was the very task of pulling the trigger. Every time she released another cartridge, she felt fainter, her energy was being drained. The strength of the vampire hunters was renowned within the vampire world, at least according to the books she had inhaled years earlier. Now she understood why. Their own weapons were ones that required a boundless amount of energy and strength. She was not a vampire hunter and she was disgusted slightly with the thought and this gun was not intended originally for her. She was incredibly obstinate though in keeping her wits about her.

Finally, she was able to gain a respite, long enough to catch her breath. Her knees shook slightly as she felt as if she had been standing for days without rest. Her eyes remained always alert though as she took in the surrounding trees and brush. Hanabusa was out there and he was fighting and she would do her best to be worthy of the name of his lover. The very thought of being rejected yet again was too much to bear.

Shaking her head to rid her of her insecurities she clutched the gun offensively in both hands as she waited for further intrusion. The night sounds were even silent and it was unnerving. Every sound made her jump and put her on her guard. Her blood from the reopened wound would bring them to her. His grip tightened; let them come then.

Eyeing the surrounding foliage, Yori took a step away from the building, then another. They were out there somewhere. Something moved quickly from one shadow to another. Whoever it was, he knew she carried a weapon, a dangerous one. A large snapping twig forced her to swing around, aim, and pull the trigger. She cursed as she realized she had acted reflexively and it was only within a split second that the other dodged the oncoming cross. A voice floated from the shadows.

"I see the kitten has claws." It was a woman. "It is a little comforting to know that Hanabusa has chosen someone who has such strength to handle a vampire hunter's weapon, but regardless, it does not excuse the fact you are human." A tall lean figure stepped from amongst the shadows. Her hair came down in rivulets of silver and her eyes were a sky blue. Her mouth pouted in a petite fashion and her smile was beautiful, but cold. Yori instantly felt a lightning bolt of jealousy, only strengthening her resolve to remain on guard.

"I suppose it is only natural that you and I meet face to face. I could tolerate the other vampiresses, but this was too far." Her face glowered delicately. "I have no intention of allowing my future husband sullying his name by associating with a human in such a manner."


	16. Chapter 16

Hanabusa felt a shiver run down his spine. For some reason he felt an impending doom, so his efforts to find Yori increased tenfold. He had looked everywhere.

--

"You did not know of me then, I see," said the beautiful woman, not shaken the least by the weapon aimed directly at her. "Our families have been close for many generations."

"You are lying," Yori bit out, as she finally reacted to this new development.

"Am I?" said the other coyly. "That ring you wear so casually is the crest of the Hanabusa family is it not? It was first created by the first Ancient Council thousands of years ago. It was given only to a few great vampires, of which only the nobles are now in possession. It symbolizes everything that is great within his vampire blood." Yori felt a shiver run down her spine, not having been aware of such a momentous item she had been wearing.

"Hanabusa gave it to you for safekeeping perhaps? Or sentimental reasons? He has always been that way, putting on such a cold front, but yet moved so easily by the smallest things," she said almost affectionately. "But it is no matter. He has loved me since we were children, long before you were even born. We have a history that has dated back before your family was even established. Do you realize the power that lies within his noble blood? Can you understand who he truly is?"

--

Hanabusa sped down the final corridor, quickly becoming aware of the fact that Yori was no longer within the Sun Dorms and this terrified him to no end. As he ran he happened to glance out the passing windows and stopped instantly. Below, he saw her. She was outside and she was holding a gun. He felt an odd hodgepodge of emotions; relief, irritation, anger. For whatever reason, she had completely disregarded his feelings of her safety and placed herself in immediate danger. Of course he was going to let her know how huge a mistake this was for her. He also noted she was already facing off against another vampire, a woman.

He watched as Yori raised her gun and began to pull the trigger, she was saying something that he could not hear. Why was she wasting time? Shoot! This was not a time to be chatting. Then his eyes connected with the victim and he felt everything stop.

--

"It doesn't matter to me Hanabusa's background. He loves me and you stand in our way. Therefore I will eradicate you as I have the others," Yori raised the gun.

"Has he said he loves you?" Yori faltered and the other smirked coldly. "He has not. He has told me many times. He is truly a sensitive lover…" Yori began to sweat and anger overtook her. Hanabusa was HERS! She began to pull the trigger when the sound of shattering glass echoed off the trees and pieces rained down from nearby. Hanabusa was falling determinedly towards them and before Yori could react he was grabbing her arm in a cruel grip, forcing the gun upwards just as the trigger was pulled. Her wounded shoulder cried out in protest against the sudden abuse. He paid no mind as he stared at the other vampire.

"What are you doing here Lilith?" he said roughly, completely ignoring Yori's shocked and pained expressions.

"It has been a while, hasn't it Hanabusa," she said sweetly. Her smile was bright and seemed rather genuine. "I'm sorry for not giving any notice, but when I heard there was trouble I came immediately. My family returned from abroad only recently and I regretfully was unable to inform you fast enough."

"Your family was not to return for at least another 50 years, what happened?"

"Truly, my family will be returning, but I arrived early with my father. There were some disturbing rumors and he made the immediate decision to return early. Are these rumors true?" Her expression looked vulnerable, yet prepared. Yori upon closer inspection realized that this woman did actually care for Hanabusa, so it made her more inclined to believe this lie about him having a fiancée. He would not have been so careless to have omitted this important piece of information from her, would he? She then glanced up at Hanabusa and saw that his jaw was clenching and relaxing in vexation. He was irritated, but not at this woman, as he had been in the most recent lover's battle.

"I see that word travels fast," he finally quipped. The other woman's hands reached around demurely and clasped together at the front. Her eyes narrowed as they began to mist over.

"Hanabusa …" Yori couldn't take it, watching these two talk so casually and with such companionship. It weren't really the words that bothered her, but the expressions they gave one another and softness of Hanabusa's expression when speaking to Lilith. Gathering her strength she pulled away from Hanabusa's grasp, he had long since lightened his hold. She stood back staring at him angrily.

"She said she's your fiancée. Is this true as well?" Hanabusa felt as if he had been pinned in a corner, staring at both women from his standpoint. Yori was currently holding a gun that would wipe him from the face of the planet should she get angry enough, but it wasn't the weapon that scared him, it was the look of complete distrust.

"Yori, you have to understand…"

"What is there to understand? You failed to mention any of this to me, not once." Her voice was strangely calm.

"As I have told you… Yori… within the vampire world we are members of two great families. It is only natural…" started Lilith.

"Be quiet!" Yori was still staring at Hanabusa. "I asked you a question! Is this true?" He did not break away from that forceful gaze and his answer was steady.

"It is true." Yori felt all of her adrenalin she had been storing suddenly dissipate. Her legs shook underneath and she suddenly felt her backside land on the ground, the gun still clasped in her hands, but her head lowered. It was as if one obstacle would melt away only to be replaced by yet another. It was a never-ending battle and Yori was running out of energy fighting off the demons that wished to demolish their relationship.

"Yori…" He took a step forward only to stop immediately at the point of her gun. Her eyes were still lowered.

"Don't touch me!" Her body was still shaking and her aim was uneasy, but it was quite apparent that the weapon would still fire and could easily hit anything in its path, including Hanabusa.

"You dare to point a hunter's gun at him?" cried Lilith in outrage. She looked angrily from one then to the other. Hanabusa did not react at all. That was strange to her, the Hanabusa she knew would never allow such an action to pass unpunished.

"This has nothing to do with you," Yori said dully to the other vampire. She finally looked up at Hanabusa. Her eyes were glassed over with pain and anger and tears leaked out freely. This was Hanabusa too common of an occurrence with her. Before she met Hanabusa, she had never cried this much, hardly ever. Her voice shook, but it was the same steel she had wielded on her fellow students so long ago, the same steel that had drawn him to her in the first place. "You said fifty years from now, right? Fifty years, I would be old and shriveled by then, long enough for you to have used me and thrown me aside! Don't say anything, just shut up! Is this what I am to you? Some temporary play thing?" She did not give him a chance to answer. "We're done, Hanabusa." He looked as though he would respond, but he glanced quickly at Lilith and Yori felt yet another blow to her heart. "Don't talk to me. Don't come near me. Forget my name. Forget whatever it was we ever had, if it was even that…" He shifted to move forward again. The gun pulled up stronger than ever.

"Don't come near me I said!" Hanabusa stared at her with his mouth agape, not sure how to respond, frozen in this complete hell. His heart was doing strange things, it felt as if it were sinking to the bottom of his stomach and his throat was tightening painfully. He felt his own eyes begin to mist in response to Yori's.

"We're DONE!"


	17. Chapter 17

Had they even achieved the rank of "star-crossed lovers," Yori wasn't even sure of that anymore. It would require both of the lovers to feel the same towards one another and she was tired of wondering. Such things should not be a guessing-game; they should be quite obvious, right?

Things developed rather quickly after that night. Rido was destroyed and Zero had perished. It was a blow to Yuki like no other. Only later did Yori piece together the details. Zero, as half vampire and half hunter, could not withstand such a combination in addition to his bitterness towards the purebloods. He had stated quite bluntly that he was to eradicate all purebloods including Yuki. In the end, he was unable to do so; his emotions had remained intact and his love for Yuki had won out. It was natural that he should be put out of his misery by that which he could not destroy.

Kaname had wished to take Yori away from her memories at Cross Academy, but she had blatantly refused. She had said that Yori and the others needed her there and her brother and lover relented to her wishes. As can be imagined, the other classmates were no longer in the dark about those who wandered the campus at night and they reacted fearfully towards them. There were a few who still regarded the Night Class as elite and followed them around in the evenings, but the crowd had grown noticeably smaller. There was a division not only within the classmates, some of which had transferred, but also within the vampire realm.

The Ancient Council had been disbanded violently and now the world of the vampires had been thrown into a near civil war. Parents against children; siblings against siblings; friends against friends, everyone seemed to hold one idea or another of how the council's termination would affect the vampire world. In the end, Kaname was a pureblood and no one could stand against such power, especially after he had consumed Shizuka. Yet he was only one amongst tens of thousands and his control could only reach so far. The core group of the Night Class remained quite loyal to him, but there were those on the outside who would show dissent in his absence. Kaname left more frequently to deal with these disruptions and was there less often. Now that the word was out, there was less need to have to control the secret, but he left much of this responsibility on the core members.

Yori had debated for only a moment to leave Cross Academy, but one look at Yuki's withdrawn frame extinguished any such thoughts. Her friend needed her desperately, especially in a time where the others refused to approach her. Yuki never really handled loneliness very well. In the end, her association with the newly-awakened pureblood princess had also isolated Yuki. Most of the students stayed away for fear of Kaname and simple ignorance of vampires.

Hanabusa did not seem to know how to handle this new situation as well. The sudden withdrawal of attention from everyone and most especially Yuki had taken a toll on him. Instead of attending the night classes, he would remain secluded in his room, writing his papers that so many had commissioned him to produce. It must have been a distraction from everything outside of the Moon Dorm walls. Eventually, Yuki ceased to see him all together. She later found that he had left Cross Academy to attend to various personal and familial issues; she assumed having to deal with Lilith. It still left a bitter taste on her tongue.

To distract herself, Yuki now began digging into Yori's love life. She had stepped lightly around the girl's feelings simply because she did not want to accidently force the other to reveal secrets she did not wish to be revealed, but it seemed that the cat was out of the bag anyway. She was fully aware of what had happened over the course of the last year and a half and the only feeling she had towards Hanabusa was one of pity. It is true that Yori was not in possession of knowledge of the vampire world and culture. It was impossible to explain or even show to someone who was not raised or closely associated with the society of nobles.

Regardless of whatever reasons Hanabusa had not told Yori of his engagement with Lilith, it was enough to break that fragile thread that had bound them together. She ignored her yearnings at night and Yuki had taken to crawling into bed with the other girl to comfort her, something she had been unable to do in the past due to her duties as prefect. Since word had finally spread of the vampires, the girls knew better than to wander out at night so it ultimately eliminated the need for the prefect to be on duty.

The fire that had been Yori's passion and love for Hanabusa had now simmered down into glowing coals, not the roaring flames that had attempted to consume her. She felt numb and hardly thought of anything outside of Yuki and studies. She paid little mind to the snide remarks that were whispered in her direction loudly as she passed in the hallway, or the distrustful looks by those she had considered friends. Even the Night Class fans did not approach her. They at least had the security of remaining outside the bubble that encompassed the vampires, but Yori was far too close for their comfort.

--

The final year of classes approached quickly and Yori had finally placed herself in a routine of solitude that involved no one else but Yuki. She couldn't imagine at the time what she would do after graduation. Most certainly she would not be returning home as some students were planning. Especially after everything that had happened she was not necessarily afraid of her stepfather, but she was afraid that she might kill him. She was no longer aware of what her capabilities were and this fact frightened her more. She had simply stopped caring after Hanabusa had left for home temporarily.

Right before graduation an uproar was being held outside the Moon Dorms. Yuki had joined the Night Class long ago and Yori would go to see her before class would start for the evening. Yuki's adjustments had been rather quick, surprisingly so, though perhaps it was more natural than Yori expected, being as the other had been originally raised as a vampire pureblood. Everyone treated her with deference.

Yori heard the words that had been absent for so long that she at first couldn't understand the meaning.

"Idol-senpai!" The cries and screams of adoration erupted from the noticeably smaller crowd of admirers, but their voices carried just as effectively. Yori's head swung around and stared at the smiling vampire. He was as handsome as ever and it took only a second for his eyes to find hers. Suddenly he was no longer paying attention to the onlookers. One word slipped from his lips.

"Yori…" The girls surrounding him stopped their shrieking long enough to look at the girl his eyes were focused upon. He let one foot move forward, then another only to stop at her lack of reaction to his sudden appearance. Yori felt like a doe caught by a sudden burst of light; she was unable to move or even think. Her vision was filled with Hanabusa.

Yori snapped out of her reverie when Yuki suddenly burst into her line of sight.

"Come on Yori." She gave no other explanation, but took off, dragging the blond girl behind her. Yori resisted the urge to look over her shoulder at Hanabusa's forlorn face.


	18. Chapter 18

Hanabusa noticed she had grown taller, leaving behind the remnants of girlhood. She had grown into a woman in his absence and perhaps it was this that stung him. Time went on for her and she would continue to grow and change before his very eyes. Her year was only but a moment to him. There were circumstances at home that he had to attend to and it had drawn him from Cross Academy for such a long time. Perhaps the reason he had delayed his return because he did not want to face Yori every day. No matter what she may have thought, his feelings for her did not die in her absence from his world, but grew stronger. He had never felt time pass so slowly so acutely.

His parents had called for his presence upon the return of Lilith's family. That was when everything seemed to blow up in his face. He had been reprimanded sharply, even hit by his father. Even now he would momentarily touch the tender place that still refused to stop complaining, though few noticed the slightly marred area. He had been torn. It was true; he had known Lilith for so many years. They grew up together and had their coming out together into society. It was a natural assumption that they would one day be wed. It was simply a fact and he had grown to see it as a part of his background as was everything else.

When Yori had appeared, Hanabusa had found himself ignoring everything that made him a noble vampire and everything included his predetermined engagement with Lilith. It wasn't that he had forgotten, but that he simply did not think of it. Lilith was no longer within his immediate realm of thought and had ceased to be so many years ago since her family went abroad. With every passing day spent at home with his family he became even more aware of the fact that he could not forget Yori. Lilith was someone dear to him, but she did not arouse the same kinds of feelings that Yori had managed to create within him.

She had never plagued his thoughts as Yori had done, or drove him to such lengths to completely disregard his pride. She did not make his head spin simply by drinking in her scent or hold his rapt attention by standing before him. Her voice did not bring a calm over his mind or make him want to throw away inhibitions and embrace her until she could no longer walk or look at others. She did not create a jealousy so deep and black that it drove him to new levels to see her speaking with another man.

Yori was something that could never be replaced and the fact that she existed within a time from which he could not save her kept him up during the day. He would never go as far as turning her, or request it of Kaname-sama, but there were days where he was tempted.

Upon his return to Cross Academy just in time for the graduation, less than a week away, he had awaited seeing her with anticipation and anxiety. He felt a pang of disappointment as the pureblood princess dragged Yori away from him, but he knew there was little else to expect at this point. Yori had openly shunned him in front of Lilith gave up all rights to be called his lover angrily and willingly. There was little he could do against Yori's determination, but he was still drawn to her; recklessly so.

--

Following graduation Kaname swept Yuki off to the Kuran estate, one that had fallen into disarray and misuse after the death of their parents. Yuki had lovingly refused to leave Yori behind, claiming that the estate needs someone to manage it being as Yuki had never been very good at doing such things. There were books to be managed, servants to hire, and general estate affairs that Yuki had no idea how to address. Yori had smiled at the offer, seeing Yuki's attempt at delaying any inevitable separation between the two. She had accepted with a bit of relief on her part as well.

As a new employee of the Kuran family, her first task was to bring order to chaos. The estate had to be refurbished and the roof had to be retiled. Servants were to be screened personally by Kaname and Yuki. They had not officially consummated their relationship. Being as Yuki would now age slower than before; they had plenty of time to be wed, as long as they were together. Yori sometimes felt very lonely watching the two lovers, but she pushed aside personal happiness to help her best friend gain hers.

Once relative order had been restored to the Kuran estate Kaname called Yori into his office, informing her that they were to arrange a coming-out ball for Yuki's return to vampire society, as she had never had one. It was long overdue and all arrangements would be in Yori's hands. Finances would not be an issue and all decisions would have his complete support.

"All of the important noble classmen and dignitaries will be present." His eyes pierced her to the core. "Can you handle this?" She saw his meaning instantly. Aidou would be there. She straightened noticeably.

"Yes, Kaname-sama." She had long since stopped referring to him as senpai, simply because that was no longer the situation. He was her employer and a powerful one at that, he must be addressed as such.

"Good. I will leave everything to you."

--

Yuki sat on the edge of Yori's desk pouting rather effectively. Her legs swung childishly as she turned once again to appeal to her friend.

"Please Yuki, let's go out and do something! You're always so busy since Kaname-senpai assigned you this ball." She had never seemed to grow out of the habit of referring to her older brother as senpai, unlike Yori. "I don't see the big deal after all. It's just going to be full of people I don't know and they're all going to give me fake smiles and ask about my health, which they don't care about anyway." Yori did not look up from the guest list she was compiling before giving it to Kaname-sama to examine.

"Well at least you're not under any false impressions," she said dryly. She noticed a misspelling and instantly corrected it before finally looking up at the dark princess. "Why don't you get one of the servants to take you into town. I believe the market is still open." Yuki frowned delicately.

"I'd rather go with you!" Yori smiled, appreciating her special place within Yuki's world.

"You could always ask Kaname-sama. You know I am trying to prove I'm worth employing here, not simply because we went to school together," she said bluntly as she turned back once again to the paperwork. "Besides, you two have not spent really quality time together since your arrival here."

"Yes, that's true. He's been so busy keeping everything under control with the vampires. I think this ball will also be a way of building up alliances again. Perhaps I can convince him to take a little time to go with me into town." Yori smiled encouragingly.

"I promise when I have finished arranging for this event, I will sit down and play you in a game of chess and then eat as many sweets as you want in the kitchen while reminiscing about the times you snuck into class late." Yuki smiled brightly, also appreciating the special place she held in Yori's world.

"Sounds like a deal. I will see you when we get back!" Yori waved briefly before returning to the lists. Her eyes scanned through name upon name on the list, trying to rack her brain for anyone else she had missed. Sighing deeply, she leaned back and stretched her back muscles, popping her shoulders in the process. She rolled her neck in a circle before diving back into the names of people she would be meeting in less than a month's time. Her eyes caught briefly on one name.

_Lord Aidou and family._ Yes, he would be there. The first time she would see him in such a long period of time. It made her heart flutter even thinking of the moment they had met. His lips on hers, on her skin, kissing her at the junction between her legs; his hands would skim over her breasts and then rest firmly on her hips as he held her gently in place, allowing his tongue to search out her nectar. She would writhe wildly, but he always managed to keep her in place, driving her mad. Yori gasped and forcefully pulled her thoughts away from the memories and tried to focus once again on the lists. She noticed briefly that Lilith's family was not being invited. Evidently she and her father returned abroad to take care of unfinished business and would not arrive until after the fact. She couldn't help but feel a small pang of satisfaction.

Yori once again tried to focus, but found it was too much. Once her mind went off on Hanabusa it was always so difficult to come back to the task at hand. With some frustration, she pushed away from the desk and wandered to the window, staring out at the full moon. It was bright and streamed in just as it had done that night when Hanabusa had come to her for the first time. She wrapped her arms around her body and closed her eyes, finally allowing herself the freedom of playing the reel of that steamy night over again on the screen of her eyelids. He had been so gentle with her, kissing her breasts and lapping at her nipples caressingly. His hand had moved so slowly up her leg, it drove her nearly off the edge of a cliff. He whispered her name in her ear and then demanded quietly that she open up to him. Yori's hands began rubbing her arms and sides with the memories, feeling a heated desire to be touched once again in this way. These were the moments that she guiltily allowed herself and only on rare occasions.

Yori reached down under her skirt and slowly began to circle her womanhood, inserting one finger to rub the most sensitive spot. Her other hand gently clasped her breast as she let out a small moan. Her eyes were still closed as she tried to imitate Hanabusa's hands and movements. Her breath quickened as she remembered his eyes, his lips, his chest, his back, everything. She allowed the flood gate to open. His voice and gasps and groans came back to her ears. He said her name over and over again as he would thrust into her smoothly, growing in pace. His fangs always grew a little longer right before his climax and it fascinated her. The heat grew between her legs as she made her fingers move faster.

"_Yori! You're beautiful!"_ he would cry sometimes. _"Yes, like that… move with me… Ah!"_

Yori felt her legs begin to shake slightly as she rode the waves higher and higher, carrying her closer to the stars. She finally felt that last push, as an image of Hanabusa's sweaty face twisted in pleasure as he released himself in her passed through her mind's eye. She found herself crying out.

"Hanabusa!" She collapsed on the floor and it took her a few moments to realize that tears were falling freely from her eyes. She laughed self-deprecatingly. "I thought I was through with this."


	19. Chapter 19

The day of the ball arrived with much anticipation. The servants rushed around wildly for any last minute preparations. Everything had to be perfect; one error could bring the whole event down upon their heads. Yori directed as though a general in battle. Despite the fact that the staff was a mixture of humans and vampires, they listened to her without hesitation. Kaname-sama had insisted upon a staff that was well balanced and mixed between the two races. There were a few hiccups here and there, but truly it was miraculous to see how well these people worked together. The staff was as large as 30 and at the height right before the ball they recruited an additional 20 staffers to make sure everything ran smoothly. There were a few humans invited as guests, but they were by far the minority. It was not uncommon for a high official to know of the vampire world and they were treated with as much respect as could be given a human given the circumstances.

Yori had become quite adept at knowing when someone drank blood and another drank wine. The ball however did not serve any blood. It only provided tablets, of which some delegates would show a degree of distaste, but they would simply hold in any snide remarks and drink down the inadequate fluid.

Only a week earlier Yuki had dragged Yori into the employee's room to find a medium sized box and in it contained an elegant blue dress. Yori gasped audibly at the sight.

"You don't like it?" said Yuki disappointedly. Yori looked at her bewildered, not able to fathom that the other thought for even a moment that she did not like the dress. It was body-fitting and hung loosely around the shoulders. A curtain of blue silk was linked across the back, dipping down low to reveal an open back that went dangerously close to inappropriate levels.

"Don't like it? I think it's gorgeous!" Yuki smiled proudly.

"That day at the market place I told Kaname-senpai that I wanted you to come to the ball as well. You've worked so hard, it's only natural that you should enjoy the benefits of your endless nights up over those ledgers and planners."

"Oh, Yuki, I can't do such a thing… I…"

"As your employer I order you to come to the ball and save me from any boorish conversations they may try to force me into, understood?" Yuki said mockingly with a stern face. Yori smiled broadly, seeing as the other was quite determined. Only Yuki could rival Yori's stubbornness.

"Yes, ma'am," she finally said.

That was how she ended up mingling within the large crowd. No one seemed to know who she was, but she certainly attracted quite a bit of attention. It was as if the dress was made for her, displaying her elegant back and shoulders. Her hair had grown longer, but not past her shoulders. It had been swept up into a loose bun, encased in embroidered pearls and netting. She wore a pearl necklace around her slender neck, ending demurely above the v-neck of the dress. Her hands were gloved to the elbows and a satin train pooled slightly behind her heeled shoes. She was beautiful.

Upon their entrance, Yuki and Yori drew quite a bit of attention. Many were anticipating the coming out of the young princess and she certainly did not disappoint. She too had her hair swept up in a loose bun, but she wore a bright red dress that carried a sash across the front. A long slit ran up the side ending mid-thigh. Pearls and golden threads were intricately sewn into a graceful flower pattern throughout the dress. Though both of the women stood out, they were certainly as opposite in appearance as one would expect, yet just as alluring.

Yori stood firmly by Yuki's side, remaining quiet and only speaking when someone addressed her. It did not take long for everyone there to find out she was the ex-lover of Aidou Hanabusa. There was no doubt however that her beauty was quite irresistible. Few of the men could deny this, however, they did not know that this new beauty was something that had only developed into its maturity until recently, such was the time of humans. They all assumed it was this beauty that had drawn Hanabusa, but truly they were wrong in this sense. It was the inner strength that seemed to draw everyone's attention to her, though few could actually place their finger on this.

The voices lingered into a steady murmur as everyone began mingling. Yori did not forget her duties and still quietly orchestrated the servants. She was the one who gave the directions to begin the live ballads and waltzes to be played upon a stage which was strategically placed and unassumingly to the side. Pretty soon the floor was filled with dancing couples, swaying gently to the music that settled over the crowd. The room was lit brightly, something Yuki had insisted upon. Just because she would live forever in the darkness of night, did not mean that she couldn't enjoy a brighter world indoors.

Yori watched with a small feeling of self-satisfaction as everything seemed to be running smoothly. She was finding herself rather irritated however that she caught herself looking for a pair of piercingly blue eyes. Having yet to see him appear, she assumed that he had simply decided not to come, or that something had arisen that required his attention. No sooner had she made this assumption than she saw him, at the stairwell, entering at a steady even pace. He followed closely behind his parents, both elegantly dressed as well. They were a handsome sight to behold. His eyes scanned over the crowd, taking in those who were in attendance. He looked dashing, with his hair as perfect as ever, his tuxedo neatly pressed, and his hands covered comfortably with white gloves. Yori held her breath, pulling further into what few shadows were available. She watched him closely as he passed by, hoping that perhaps he would not see her… the entire night. She felt childish at that moment. She was a woman now. She would not cower in the corners like this, it was beneath her.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out into the crowd and was instantly surrounded by several young men, attempting to initiate conversation with her. Most of her admirers were vampires and a very small mixture of humans. Once again she was reminded of Kaname-sama's goal of racial harmony between these two very different groups. She smiled wanly at them and tried to give as delicate answers as possible, but it was quite a strain. Truly she wished to remain silent, solitary and away from the crowds, but this group was making it rather difficult.

Yuki saw Yori's dilemma and tugged gently at Kaname's sleeve. She whispered into his ear as he leaned down to hear her out. He raised his head a little and frowned.

"Please…" she pleaded, her eyes turning into saucers. Kaname sighed in defeat and nodded, taking a slow pace towards Yori's side.

Hanabusa had instantly been looking for the girl he had known in school and that was perhaps his reason for not finding her right away. His eyes had sought out the girl with shorter hair, less filled in and certainly not surrounded by a mob of men. He slammed back another drink as he glowered angrily at her admirers. He of all those in the room had even less right to advance towards her. Somehow she had managed to pierce even his inner-most world and still remain the center of his attention.

Yori's beauty was quite apparent, even at such a distance. He ignored all attempts at conversation and everyone quickly became aware of his growing hostility, a black cloud and aura that seemed to loom in the corner he inhabited. They wisely avoided him. Hanabusa could barely stand it any longer. She smiled, yet she did not; not the way she had done in the past. It had been too long since the last time she had smiled at him. It was time he got his fix for the next year, even if he had to pull her lips up into a smile for her. He felt that the added-alcohol in the drinks, of which he had lost count, was buzzing around in his head, but he ignored it as he began stalking towards the young woman, but he stopped as he saw Kaname already beating him there. He watched as his lord extended his own gloved hand to Yori. She smiled almost in relief and accepted his offering.

Despite the fact that Kaname-sama was his lord and master that still did not excuse the fact that he was asking HIS woman to dance. The alcohol only further heightened his possessiveness. Had he more sense about him, he would have seen that Kaname-sama was doing a favor to Yori under Yuki's request. She would be treated with more deference and respect as long as Kaname showed she was special to him and Yuki. This was one of the few ways in which he could appropriately do so in this situation. Hanabusa had yet to see that.

--

"You truly must be more careful around some of these vampires," said Kaname warningly. Yori glanced up at him surprised. Was he showing concern on her behalf?

"I apologize for any boundaries I might have crossed…" she started, but Kaname smiled.

"No, it was not your fault, but I must warn you that these nobles all have the ability to use mind-control. In my presence they will not use it on any of the servants or guests, but regardless, you must be careful and well aware of this fact." Yori smiled genuinely for the first time all night.

"Thank you, Kaname-sama." The corner of his mouth went up.

"Don't thank me, thank Yuki." Yori looked over Kaname's broad shoulders at her friend who waved vigorously. Yori snorted and tried to keep in her chuckle in as lady-like a manner as possible. Her attention came back once again to her dance partner. "You have done a wonderful job in arranging this ball. You've more than earned a name for yourself in this household." Yori blushed slightly at the compliment and mumbled a thank you as they continued to dance. At the end of the waltz Kaname stepped back.

"Now, I have another dance partner I wish to invite to the floor. Do you feel comfortable enough for me to leave you?" Yori nodded slightly as her employer walked towards the pureblood princess and extended his hand.

The meaning of his dancing with her was quite clear. The men approached cautiously and not quite with as much vigor and she appreciated the small respite this had gained her.

It took quite a bit of effort and doing to extract herself from the guests and seeing as everything was still running according to plan, she decided to sneak out onto the balcony for some air. The garden below was in full bloom and she saw that the fountain was gurgling merrily to the side. Taking a moment, she wandered closer to sit on the edge, gazing into the rippling reflection of the moon. Sighing, she finally felt as though some of the stress of planning the event release itself into the night air.

The sound of a footfall on gravel swung her around to face a pair of livid blue eyes.

"Hanabusa…" his name escaped her lips involuntarily. He stood staring at her.

"Have you been enjoying yourself?" he said finally, a bite in his tone was quite evident. She stiffened defensively as she stood straight, facing him head on.

"It has been enjoyable, Hanabusa-sama," she said formally as she took a step around him. His hand lashed out and caught her arm in a painful grip.

"You certainly have drawn quite a bit of attention to yourself." She did not even bother looking at the hand that held her.

"Let go," she said quietly, warningly. He did not listen. He was drunk and this sent warning bells off in her mind.

"It must feel good being surrounded by admirers, smiling and laughing with them." When had she ever laughed? She thought bitterly. He continued. "Once you've had a taste of the noble world you become drunk with it I see," he said cruelly. She yanked her arm away, still failing to be released.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her eyes challenged him and he felt a thrill rush through him. It had been so long since he had felt this way. Instead of responding he dragged her to the alcove of low trees against the wall. He slammed her against the stone none-too lightly. His hands lay splayed on either side of her head. She had matured, but he was by far still taller than her. She looked at him defiantly.

"What are you doing?" she cried angrily. He wasn't looking at her though; he was staring at her lips.

"Do you think those in there can give you what you want? They will satisfy you perhaps?" he said bitterly. His words slurred a little at the end.

"You're drunk…" She moved to get away, but he pushed her up against the wall once again.

"They can't satisfy you. Only I can do that." His mouth descended upon hers roughly as his hands held her arms securely to her sides. She resisted, turning away her head letting out a cry. One hand released her to yank her chin back to face him for another onslaught. His tongue forced her mouth open as he invaded her, enticing her tongue into motion. Yori inhaled his familiar scent and the feeling of his lips devouring hers. She resisted valiantly, but failed momentarily as a groan emitted from her throat as Hanabusa ripped off his gloves and threw them to the side, sliding one warm palm into her dress to cup her breast gently. He massaged her forcefully, squeezing the nipple between two fingers. It was such a sweet pain. He was saying her name again, in painful whispers, as if he was tasting it. He ground his hips into hers, pinning her against the wall. He was aroused and wanted her.

Pulling away only for a second he began kissing her jaw and then her neck and earlobe. His hand continued moving its gentle circles as his hips began a slow dance against hers. She groaned as her gloved fingers grasped at the wall behind her, trying to find anything to hold in her sanity.

"Hanabusa…stop…" He crouched lower and took the other breast into his mouth and suckled deeply. "No… please…" She wasn't sure what she was begging for, but all she knew was that if she allowed this continue she could never go back and she had made that decision long ago that Aidou would no longer be hers. She tried to push him away, but he was firmly latched on to her, his hand releasing her breast to start pulling up the dress from around her legs. His fingers were gently touching her as he moved higher.

"N… no!" She pushed him away almost violently. She quickly reached up to pull her dress back in place. Both were breathing heavily, Hanabusa's eyes were swimming in passion as was hers. They silently recognized the fact that if given the approval they would lunge for one another, but Yori would be damned if she would fall into this trap again.

"I said don't touch me, didn't I? We're done remember?"

"We're not done until I say we're through," retorted Hanabusa stubbornly. He had sobered only slightly.

"We're through, damn it! Just accept that!" Yori yelled at him. He was unperturbed by her sharp tone.

"You're body says otherwise," he quipped. "You're mine until I say otherwise," he said with a cruel smile. If she would not be his willingly, he would make her his by force. Yori didn't know how to react. Taking her opening she shot past him and for the garden exit, away from the ball. Aidou was hot on her trail.

--

Damn long dresses! Damn high heels! Damn this throbbing in her heart! She ran as if the hounds of hell were on her heels and luckily with Hanabusa's drunken state, it made it easier for her to get ahead of him. She bolted for her room, sure he would not be able to find her if she was hidden within the sanctuary of her quarters. She had momentarily lost him. Without thinking she ran inside and slammed the door shut, locking it firmly after her. She backed up slowly, breathing heavily as she stared at the doorknob, waiting to see if he would follow. She took one step, then another. Suddenly her back was planted firmly against an unyielding warm surface and her heart stopped. She gasped and spun around trying to back away at the same time, but tripped on the train of her dress simultaneously. Hanabusa caught her midair and in one graceful motion, threw her onto the bed. He stared at her through narrowed eyes, as he slowly unbuttoned his tuxedo and vest. He did not say anything as he left them in a careless pile at his feet. His eyes never left hers. She felt a thrill run through her, realizing that he had her completely within his grasp. She edged away slowly and Hanabusa stopped unbuttoning his shirt long enough to grab her ankle and drag her to the edge of the bed towards him.

Yori let out a squeak of surprise as he shoved her down on the soft mattress and proceeded to pick up where he had left off in the gardens. One hand held her hands in a vice-like grip above her head as he allowed his pent up passion to be released. He kissed her furiously, ripping at her beautiful dress. The sound of fabric tearing could be heard within the room and Yori… she didn't care… Hanabusa most certainly wished to destroy the clothing that had drawn so many others to Yori and this was his revenge being played out. He lunged in for another heart-stopping kiss. Yori still resisted, biting down hard on his lower lip. He pulled back and sadistically licked away the blood that seeped out.

"Now I'm really turned on," he said cruelly. Yori's eyes widened as his fangs elongated slightly. She did not feel afraid only restless. She had so many dreams of this encounter and suddenly having it realized she only felt incredibly giddy. Hanabusa pulled the tattered dress from her body and stared at her as a man in a desert looking at an oasis.

"Gods, you're so beautiful," he whispered more to himself than her. His hand was still holding hers firmly above her head as the rest of the clothing was discarded. He fell in upon her again, pressing his entire length against hers, giving her little opportunity to resist. At this point she felt her resistance crumbling to ash around her.

"Hanabusa, please, don't do this!" His hand was already lodged inside of her and moving in tantalizing circles. Her breathing quickened as her back arched off of the coverlet.

"Are you sure, Yori… you want me to stop?" he circled his thumb around her nub and she let out a cry. He smiled cruelly. "That's what I thought." He lowered his head and began to run his tongue around her nipples and then between her breasts. They were in a frenzied state as he inched his way closer to his other hand. He hovered just above her, breathing out so she shivered from the feel of his warm breath against her, just before he went in and started to lap at her. She cried out in sweet agony as he brought her to the peak of another mountain. By now her hands were gripped firmly on the coverlet and Hanabusa's other hand had replaced his lips at her breast.

"Hanabusa!" He continued to dart his tongue in and out of her entrance, running slow circles at times right outside around her clit.

"Come on, you're almost there," he said with strained encouragement. Her body was slick with the strain and pleasure. "Just a little more." He inserted his finger and she cried out as she tumbled over the edge of the precipice. He stared at her face as she went.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered yet again as he moved up at length to place himself between her legs. She hesitated, realizing what he was doing and he grabbed hold of her hands and leaned in for another ferocious kiss. He was not going to wait any longer. He had to have her. While she was being distracted by his passionate mating of tongues, he plunged into her. Her mouth opened under his and they both groaned into each other's mouths. He froze for a second, allowing her to adjust to him before moving slowly in and out. With each thrust they both let out a sigh, becoming more frenzied the faster he moved.

Hanabusa buried his head in the crook of her neck as he picked up pace. Her legs were wrapped firmly around his waist as his arms encircled her, pulling her closer, practically off of the bed. He thrust into her with such force the entire bed seemed to rock. They paid no mind as their cries intensified. She was so smooth and they fit perfectly together, it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"Hanabusa!"

"I'm sorry Yori, I'm… I can't…" A moment later he burst forward, with a cry of release and Yori followed soon thereafter.

--

Yori lay cuddled within Hanabusa's embrace, both staring ahead, not saying anything. Every time Yori tried to open her mouth to speak, Hanabusa responded sharply for her to be quiet. He obviously did not wish to ruin the moment. His arms were holding her firmly around the waist and having such possessiveness directed at her was very comforting, but reality would always come crashing the party. What did this mean for them? What had changed? What about his engagement to Lilith?

The name sent a shiver running down her spine and Hanabusa felt it. He raised his head sleepily to look at her.

"What is it?" Oh, so now she could speak. She raised her head to look at him stoically.

"This doesn't change anything," she said.

"I think it changes a lot of things," he shot back, his arm tightened around her waist, and she noticed this as well.

"You can't have your cake and eat it as well."

"What?"

"It's an expression. You think you can have me and your engagement with Lilith? If you think for one moment that I would fall for such a ploy, you have another thing coming…" Hanabusa cut her off with a forceful kiss. She grew quiet.

"Shut up," he said gently, his eyes never leaving hers. "I have no intention of marrying Lilith as long as you are here by my side. I can't look at any other but you," he said. "It doesn't change the fact that you are human and I am a vampire, but it is something we will have to deal with day by day," he said reassuringly. That had to be the most conviction she had heard from him yet. It was true, he would live on for who knows how many more years and generations from her. It would be cruel and unfair to assume that he would remain alone forever even after she had passed.

"By the way," he said randomly. She glanced up at him. "What were you and Kaname-sama talking about on the dance floor?" She looked confused for a moment before breaking out in a smile.

"You were watching me?" he remained stubbornly silent. "You were jealous?" Still no answer, but his grip tightened yet again. "Perhaps he was confessing his undying love to me!" she teased. Before she could react he had flipped her underneath him and pulled the covers completely over the both of them. She squealed as he proceeded to take his revenge.


	20. Chapter 20

Hanabusa's body went careening into the table, shattering the beautifully potted flower on the floor and splintering the four-legged piece of furniture into two pieces. His father stood over him heaving heavily as his mother stood anxiously behind her husband. She raised one hand as if to try to stop the beating in progress. Hanabusa had never seen his father so livid with rage. He slowly rose to his elbows and then raising himself on his two hands as the pottery split into his palms. He looked up half expectantly at his father. Despite the wearing of years, the man remained as intimidating as he had been when Hanabusa was a young vampire. The other's fists were clenched in a raised position.

"I have raised you for over 500 years and this is the thanks you repay me?" he howled, reaching down to grab his son by the collar, hauling him up to see his fangs had elongated. Hanabusa stood quietly before his father's storm. He refused to say anything. It only further infuriated the elder who plowed his fist yet again into the side of his son's face, still refusing to let go of the now tattered shirt. His wife let out a cry and moved yet again to interfere, but the look her husband gave her, froze any such effort. The man turned back to the younger and blustered further into his face, his nose nearly touching the others.

"You are not to see her ever again!" he ranted, shaking his son furiously. "Is that clear?" Hanabusa still remained silent. "Well?" He gave Hanabusa another strong shake.

"Even if you were to tell me not to do such a thing and I agreed, I would only end up breaking my word," replied Hanabusa calmly, honestly. His father's temper rose to the surface once again. This time he flung the younger man against the couch, sending it sprawling backwards.

"Then I shall prevent you from it happening again! You are not to leave unless I give leave; you will be escorted at all times; the only woman who shall accompany you will be your fiancée." He emphasized the final word and Hanabusa flinched.

"I have no intentions of marrying Lilith," he ground out, finally showing some resistance to his father's onslaught.

"You will do as I say! I went along with your ludicrous idea of going to that infernal academy and I see now it was the biggest mistake I have ever made in raising you as a member of the noble class. If it weren't for Kaname-sama, you and that girl would both be swimming with the fishes by now." Hanabusa reacted immediately.

"Don't lay a hand on her," he hissed, standing up, despite flinching at the effort. He breathed heavily and cupped his tender side, probably a cracked rib. "You know you can't touch her because Kaname-sama would give you a punishment far worse." The other man shot forth a stream of ice, lodging a long spear in his son's shoulder.

"Dear, that is too far," cried Hanabusa's mother. His father blinked and glanced at her before returning to his son.

"Be that as it may, you are no longer permitted to attend Kaname-sama's estate. I will see to it that it doesn't happen again." Hanabusa stared defiantly at his father, knowing full well, the other would keep his word.

--

Yori hummed quietly as she went about her business, reviewing the books, separating invitations and inquiries, and checking off the inventory for the estate. Kaname-sama had been more than pleased with the spectacular event that she had arranged. Despite everyone having noticed the sudden absence of the two lovers, there was not so much as a hiccup in the rest of the events. Yuki had smiled knowingly and just winked at Kaname, who blatantly refused to respond. Unlike the young princess, he knew the horrible implications this would cause for his long-time friend and Yuki's dearest companion. It would not be a pleasant occasion.

Not having seen Hanabusa since that night, Yori tried to distract herself with organizing and re-checking everything, knowing she would have to make up for her absence in perfection and meticulous work. Kaname-sama had not said anything to her, but Yuki had nearly bowled her over with questions and excited gesticulations. She had only responded as vaguely as possible, but still had a very pleased warmth in her expressions as she gave what little information she was willing.

Yori stood from her desk, feeling her shoulders cramp and move to leave the room for some tea. She had been up most of the night working through some numbers that were stubbornly remaining obscure and refusing to add up correctly. She thought she knew where in lay the problem, but she needed a moment to breath.

As she walked down the hallway, dimly lit at night she passed a maid who nodded respectfully to her as she passed. She returned in kind. Moments later she was weaving, why was the room spinning so rapidly? She leaned slightly against the wall. Her halted advance caught the attention of the maid, who had looked over the shoulder. The young woman gasped as she noticed Yori crumbling to the ground.

"Ms. Wakaba!" she cried. "Someone help!" Yori heard the swirling voices hovering close over her head and she couldn't seem to bring herself out of the mire that was consuming her mind. She vaguely was aware of someone lifting her from her place on the floor. The next thing she knew, she was staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom. She slowly sat up and rubbed the heel of her hand against her forehead.

"What happened?" she whispered. Two small hands grasped her upper arms and shook her gently.

"Yori! What happened to you? They told me you fainted and I came right away!" Yori looked at her friend's concern and saw that Yuki had quite a fright.

"Nothing… I just… one minute I was standing and the next…" The other cut her off.

"Lucille told me that you spent another night up looking over the books! How many times have I told you that just because my sleeping has shifted, doesn't mean yours must as well!" Yori smiled gently at the other woman's concern.

"You truly worry too much, Yuki. I'm fine. I've simply overexerted myself…" The other girl's eyes widened.

"You don't think you're pregnant do you?" Yori froze at the thought then shook her head, knowing full well that she was not.

"No, I believe you might be jumping the gun a little bit. It's only been a few weeks since… that…" She blushed slightly. Yuki's face melted from one of excitement to one of concern once again.

"Then what is it?" Yori smiled, not exactly sure what was wrong as well.

"As I said, I'm overexerting myself. I'll try to rest more."

--

Outside the window a crow stared in silently from the branches, cloaked in the shadows. Taking a moment longer, it spread its wings and took off with a "caw," speeding into the night.

It flew quickly and with a purpose, over the trees and hills, not stopping for the delectable looking insects that lay below within the tree cover. It had a message to give to its master.

--

Lilith walked into the dimly lit office, approaching demurely her future father-in-law. Her hands were folded primly in the pleats of her dress as she came to a silent halt before his large oak desk. Her skirt swayed slightly, the lace giving off a faint rustle.

"You wished to see me, sire," she said demurely. He had been staring out the window, petting his crow absently. As if startled from his thoughts, he turned and smiled at her warmly, turning to place the crow on its customized perch next to the desk.

"Lilith, I apologize for calling you so suddenly. Please, have a seat." Lilith obeyed and settled genteelly into an overstuffed chair. She watched as the other paced furtively across the room, pausing every once in a while to form some words and then stopping again. She waited patiently for him to say what he needed. It made her nervous sitting in his presence. He was not a pureblood, but he still held an aura of command around him that made it difficult to breath. Every time she acknowledged this, she felt her heart go out to Hanabusa, the one she had lost. Her heart filled with an incredible bitterness, leaving a bad taste in her mouth as she thought of the human girl who had stolen it. Though Hanabusa refused to acknowledge his feelings verbally, it was plain to see that he was in love. Finally the older vampire stopped and faced her.

"I have discovered some recent developments that may either be the end of us, or be our redemption," he finally relinquished. Her curiosity was peaked. Lord Hanabusa was rarely consumed with riddled language, but this seemed to be a rare occasion where he had difficulty verbalizing his thoughts.

"Hanabusa, the stupid son as I've raised him, was careless and has sired offspring." Lilith felt her heart stop and then sink like a stone in the ocean, never to be recovered. Her head lowered and still she said nothing.

"This girl is unaware of the time cycle of a pregnancy involving vampire blood, which leaves us little time." Lilith raised her head in alarm. She felt her pulse quicken. What exactly was he suggesting?

"I will arrange it so that this girl will give birth, but you shall be its mother." Lilith prided herself in her lady-like manners, but no amount of training or control could keep her mouth from gaping.

"What?" she stammered.

"Leave the logistics to me, but you must certainly give your part if you wish to keep Hanabusa." Their eyes connected for a long moment. He knew her feelings for his son and whether it was for himself or for the sake of the young vampire couple, he was going to do whatever means necessary to ensure that they were wed.

"But, sire…" He cut her off.

"It might cause a bit of a scandal, but if it is something you are willing to endure, then we can begin the necessary arrangements." Lilith was stunned into silence, finding nowhere else to look but her clasped hands; they were shaking. After a few moments, she looked into the other man's eyes.

"What must I do?"


	21. Chapter 21

Hanabusa stared dully around the dank room he had been confined in since his father's outburst. As punishment he had been refused food but most importantly, blood. There was little for him to sustain himself. There was no point in trying to escape because everything had been reinforced, so he sat dully on the cushy bed that had been produced to provide as much comfort as possible in such confinements. Despite it all, a prison was a prison. This made no difference and any room that kept him from Yori was as much a dungeon as anything else. He felt dizzy most of the time, for the past several days, he had been completely deprived and he had endured with hardly a murmur. Yet the hunger grew within him, making him want to run his nails across the stones of the walls and claw his way out, but he still maintained his control, breathing as evenly as possible.

Hanabusa was doing just this as he sat comfortably, trying to control the hunger. It was growing more difficult to do so. He welcomed the door opening, any kind of distraction from the gnawing at not only his stomach, but the deep hunger that plagued his very core would be welcome. The light streamed in and he used his hand to shield out the sudden invasion. A woman stood in the doorway, looking at him quietly. For a moment he thought he saw Yori and her name left his lips. The other stiffened noticeably before stepping into proper lighting. Lilith… She smiled at him gently as she approached. Regardless of his feelings for Yori he still held an affection towards her that he held for no other. Their history was intertwined.

"Hanabusa…" her voice was shocked and sad. Did he look that bad? He took a moment to note he had not showered in quite some time and probably needed a good shave. Groaning he sat up straighter and moved to stand, but he was unsteady. Lilith shot forward and forced him back down, concerned he might fall in his attempt at chivalry.

"What are you doing here?" he quested gently. She smiled affectionately at him and ran fingers lightly across his cheek.

"After I heard of the horrible condition you were in I came immediately. I'm only sorry I had not arrived earlier." He smiled at her and avoided the touch of her fingers. It stung her, but she did a valiant job of not showing this.

"I'm surprised my father allowed you to visit…"

"He doesn't know," she said shyly. "I demanded they let me in." He was trying to stand again, moving away from the uncomfortable closeness she was invoking, but he stumbled back.

"Hanabusa! This is too cruel! When was the last time you drank?" He glanced away and didn't answer. He barely had enough time to notice that Lilith was unbuttoning the top of her dress quickly and efficiently. She pulled aside the laced clothes and offered her neck. For a moment it reminded him of his first night with Yori. The image sprang to his mind. He was distracted though in realization that the blood was beckoning him.

"You need to feed. Quickly, take what you need." His eyes widened as he back away slightly. "Don't be stubborn! If you go on like this you will most certainly grow ill." She insisted, placing her hand on his chest, moving closer. He felt her pulse, it was speeding up, quickening with very moment. He was intoxicated, his instincts taking over, but a face smiled at him gently in the back of his mind. Her voice rang in his thoughts even then. Hanabusa pulled away further.

"I am fine Lilith," he said reassuringly. She wouldn't buy it and came closer yet again, insistently.

"Aidou Hanabusa, do this for me, I cannot bear the thought of you being in pain and without blood." Looking into her cold eyes he saw it was true. She was literally pained to look at him in such a state. His hunger rose again, all encompassing, tearing at his very sanity. It had been so long. Even a simple tablet would have been sufficient, but he had nothing. Here he could feel the quickened pulse under her skin and below her chin. She offered herself, waiting anxiously. He stared long and hard at her throat, not sure of what to do next.

Seeing he was not moving, Lilith raised a finger and ran a sharp nail down her neck, drawing blood. Hanabusa's heart skipped a beat as suddenly his senses were filled with the aroma of sweet, sweet blood. He felt his fangs grow. Lilith reached up and ran a finger along the incision and smeared her finger in blood before gently placing it against Hanabusa's lips.

"Drink," she ordered gently. Her hands rested on either side of his head as she pulled his mouth closer to her neck. She noticed he was sweating horribly and breathing heavily. He did not move, but she would not let go.

Finally, as if someone else had taken over his body, he lunged forward and pinned her to the bed as he sank his fangs into her neck, drawing in her blood greedily. His eyes were a blood-red as he sucked her in deeply. The sounds of his feeding echoed within the room, bouncing off the walls and ceiling. His mind went blank with his desire to feed. Everything fell into a haze as he dove in over and over again. Things faded from the permanent grey he saw without Yori into a deep red. Nothing else was there but the live pulsing blood that coursed into his mouth. He sucked greedily, sounds emitting from him that had never come forth before.

Things spun out of control, never had he been so hungry for blood. Never had he craved to fill his inner being with that golden fluid. Nothing remained but him and the flow of blood. Everything faded to darkness as his lust overtook him.

--

Hanabusa felt more relaxed than ever before in the last week. He pulled in closer to the warmth at his side. Yori. She was there with him. He wrapped his arms strongly around her waist and pulled her closer. Her naked back pressed against his chest and her breasts resting firmly within his palm. He inhaled deeply her scent and he froze. This was not Yori. Pulling away abruptly he examined his surroundings and the woman in his arms and he felt his stomach churn.

There lay Lilith, innocently waking from her slumber. She rolled over and snuggled closer to his chest. They wore nothing. His eyes desperately swept the room, taking in the clothes thrown in all directions and their mussed figures. His palms began to sweat as he slowly pulled away from the soft vampiress. He inhaled quickly as she shifted closer to him. It was impossible, he could not seem to disengage from her entwined figure. He tried another tactic, running his finger up her side forcing a physical reaction to move off of his limb, but it failed as well. Sighing, he saw no other way out of it. He had to wake her up.

"Lilith," he shook her gently. She stirred and murmured his name. He hesitated. "Lilith," he said more persistently. She sat bolt upright and upon awakening, she scrambled to cover herself with the coverlet. She looked wildly around in circles.

"It wasn't a dream," she said under her breath. He heard her, but didn't quest further. An awkward silence filled the room as he shifted away from her. What had he done? The complete acknowledgement of what had happened finally seemed to hit him full on. He had slept with Lilith… LILITH of all women! He shoved one leg after another into his trousers, attempting to use the motion to distract himself from the naked childhood figure laying innocently and seductively in bed. He turned and glanced at her.

"You should go. I'm sorry for whatever happened last night, but I was drunk with blood." It was like a slap to the face for her. She stared at his back as he pulled away from her not only physically but in every emotional sense. She gathered the sheets closer to her body, trying to hold in whatever hurt feelings she could, but failed.

"Hanabusa, you are horrible!" she wailed as she grabbed up her clothing and headed straight for the door. Hanabusa was so shocked by the sudden outburst he could not stop her from fleeing through the opening. The door slammed shut and he was once again left to his lonely thoughts.

--

Yori succumbed easily to fainting spells, rampant needs for food or more specifically raw meat, as she began haunting the kitchens. The noticeable changes were taken into account by not only Yuki and the staff, but by Kaname-sama as well. He watched as she began to gain healthy weight, that which she had been missing for so long, but it expanded over the next month in her abdomen. She grew quickly, faster than would have been expected. It wasn't until one month later that finally Kaname-sama brought her to his office. She sat quietly eyeing him anxiously.

What was it, another event perhaps? He looked very serious. He was never one for beating around the bush.

"Yori, you're pregnant." She was stunned, in fact, she thought he was lying. These words did not affect her, they couldn't because they were not directed at her. She absorbed what he said to her and the full meaning began to settle in upon her. Pregnant. Her. Pregnant. Yori. Pregnant. Not her. Impossible. He was joking. He had to be. There was no possible way. It had only been a month.

"That can't be possible…" He cut her off.

"A pregnancy with vampire blood is very different from one with human. Though we age slowly we are quick to develop within the womb. It is something that is well-known within the vampire realm. The terms are not nine months, but six instead." Silence fell upon her like a curtain. She swallowed several times and her hands twitched reflexively. Ever so slowly she reached up and placed her hand gently over her womb, glancing down at the place her hand had settled.

"We're having a baby?" she said in wonderment. Kaname was not sure if she was happy or still in shock, perhaps both.

"Will you keep the child?" Kaname asked bluntly. Yori looked up at her employer quickly, eyes wide.

"What?" He elaborated.

"This is something that could potentially ruin Hanabusa. The rest of vampire society will shun him because he has turned his back on them. The child will be living proof to this. The child too would grow up in a very cold environment. Always to be rejected by others and never able to settle in one place. There are those who would seek to kill the child as well. Such extreme action I would see to it not happening, but it only takes one attempt. The child would grow in constant fear for his life."

Yori absorbed this information and her hand clenched over her womb. Who would dare to hurt her and her baby? She was surprised by the automatic maternal instinct that filled her for this unborn child.

"Hanabusa may very well request that the pregnancy be terminated. You must consider this as well." Her heart clenched. Was that something she could risk?

"I won't allow that to happen," she said firmly, seeing she had already made the choice. Kaname's eyes closed, already well aware of what this meant for Yori and he felt her sealed fate close with a resounding slam.

"You will not have a choice if the Aidou family sees it otherwise."

"They will not touch my child!" Yori reacted immediately. Kaname stared at her silently for a long moment, making her shift uncomfortably in her seat. Finally he spoke.

"Then I see I have no choice." Her heart stopped. "I will arrange for another location where you will carry the child to term. There will be only a select few who will know the whereabouts and I will also provide the appropriate midwife." Yori felt her eyes tear suddenly, in realization that Kaname would support her. Immediately her pride rose up and made her want to request that she carry the burden on her own, but seeing such a stoic look on Kaname's face, she knew right away it was no longer an option. What he had said was true and was it worth risking herself and the child?

"I will make the necessary preparations. You will leave as soon as possible. If word were to get out about your condition you would be in grave danger." Hanabusa's face flashed before Yori and she clenched her jaw. She wished to run to him and tell him the news, but Kaname's words still rang in her mind. Perhaps Hanabusa would tell her to get rid of it. The thought tore her to pieces. The only thing she could do was ride this sudden wave that developed and hope for the best.


	22. Chapter 22

The preparations were done quickly and efficiently. Before Yori could truly grasp what was happening around her, she had been placed in a cart and sent off to a distant wooded area still within the Kuran estate, but far enough and distant enough that few ventured out that far. Her departure was kept in complete secrecy and the servants were only informed until after the fact. When her absence was noticed they were told that she had left to see her family, her mother being very ill and would be gone for an undetermined amount of time. Kaname had not planned so far ahead as in to explain the sudden appearance of a child, but it was a bridge that would be crossed once reached.

Yori sat as she joggled from one end of the seat to the other as a few meager belongings were brought with her in the back. She waited anxiously as they were shielded by the cover of the trees, contemplating what she was leaving behind. Even Yuki had been given little notice and she had reacted rather angrily, surprisingly so. Yori by far had expected that Yuki would pout at most and her heart was warmed when she was, once again, reminded of how important she was to the pureblood princess.

She had not heard from Hanabusa in quite some time and she began to worry, knowing full well that his father was to be faced, but he had simply shrugged off the impending encounter. Yori sensed he had played it down to keep her from worrying, but nonetheless, she worried, as would most women. Deep down she felt that he was safe, however, at least as far from death as possible. She was confident that should anything deadly pended over her lover, she would know instantly. She held small comfort in this fact.

He would be angry; infuriated and outraged that she would disappear so quickly and on such an important matter. Once the child was born there was little he could do in keeping her from keeping it and that was yet another problem she had the next several months to contemplate. She placed that on the shelf in the back of her mind, knowing it was a box to be opened later once the time came. Another comfort for her was knowing that she would see him again, even if it took over a year. Perhaps enough time will have passed so his temper will have cooled. Perhaps he would even welcome her and the child with open arms and face the hardships ahead together.

Yori's mind was filled with such fanciful thoughts as they approached a clearing. The sunlight dipped in steadily over the top of a small cottage. Her breath stopped as she took in the serene setting. A small creek ran alongside the cottage, gurgling away merrily. The thatched roof looked freshly installed and the garden had been cleaned and weeded for its new inhabitants. Yori noted to thank Kaname sincerely the next she saw him. The birds chirped merrily in the distance as the cart rolled to a halt. The driver jumped down and came around to help her from her seat. Her body was stiff from all of the jostling, but she paid no mind as her vision was still riveted on her new home.

Like a child, she ran inside to find the interior just as cozy and welcoming as everything outside and she nearly let out a small gleeful shout, but held it in demurely as the driver dragged in the one chest of clothing. He tipped his hat to her as he asked if she required anything else. She shook her head and within moments she was left to explore her surroundings. There was a loft above and it was the first place that Yori ventured. There she found antique portraits and trinkets, covered still in dust and lack of use. Deciding she would have more time later to explore this area she wandered back down the ladder to find that the bed and kitchen area were all combined into a single room. There were only doors to closets. It was small, but comfortable. Settling into her surroundings, Yori flopped back onto the cushy bed and stared up at the ceiling. Her mind wandered again to the blue-eyed vampire and she rolled over onto her side trying to distract herself.

The journey had worn her out and within moments she had drifted into a pleasant slumber only to be awakened by the sound of a greeting. Sitting up quickly, Yori looked out one of the windows and saw Yuki approaching. It was sunset. Had she really slept that long?

"Yori!" Yuki called again, still not having received a response. The darker girl wandered closer and knocked on the door just as it opened to reveal a sleepy-eyed friend. They embraced as if they had not seen each other in ages. "How do you like it?" Yuki asked gaily as she entered into the small cottage. Yori smiled as she helped the other out of her jacket.

"It's lovely, please tell Kaname it is incredible and thank you so very much." Yuki puffed up in pride for her fiancée.

"I came to see how you had settled in and to let you know that a midwife will be arriving quite soon, perhaps within a few days!" Yori smiled and felt stunned. This was really happening. Yuki noticed immediately her friend's distress and distracted her by hauling out a satchel she carried with her on the journey.

"I brought a chessboard. We haven't played for over a year." She set to placing the board on the quant table and setting the pieces in place from a wooden box. Yori stood looking at her friend, unable to say anything.

"You really didn't have to come all the way out here, Yuki…" The girl whirled around with her hands on her hips.

"Is that what you say to a friend who has made the effort to visit?" she said in mock annoyance. Yori smiled. Yuki was lonely as well. Things must have been getting worse for Kaname if he was not able to spend as much time with Yuki. Yet he still took the time to make such incredible arrangements for her. The growing unrest within the vampire realm made her uneasy, but she swept it from her mind.

"Please, let's play a game, I will need plenty of distractions in the coming months," she said cheerfully. Yuki grinned and plopped down on a chair and raised a hand for the other to have a seat across from her. Yori obeyed with a smile.

"Thank you, Yuki." The other looked at her startled.

"For what?" said Yuki with a puzzled expression.

"For everything." Yori held the other's eyes for as long as possible before Yuki broke out in a blush.

"You won't be saying that very long. I plan on beating you again!"

"Not on your life!"

--

It took quite some doing, but Hanabusa's mother managed to convince the unruly father that their son's punishment had made a point. Hanabusa had once again been let out into the realm of the living, though he still felt no satisfaction, having not seen Yori since that night. He was watched closely and at all times. Things felt so miserable to him, as if time had slowed to a mere crawl. He couldn't even bring himself to work on the papers he had enjoyed writing in the past. His days were spent staring out the window of his room, wishing he could simply take off without a word.

Yori had not sent word to him either. Her silence he took as a result of his father. Any and all communication between the lovers was completely cut off. What disturbed him was that Kaname-sama had not called for him either. Not a sound had come from the Kuran estate since the ball. Kaname was seen outside of course, arguing and intimidating the violence out of several sects found throughout the country, but there was only one of him and so many others. Loyalty to the Kuran family held firmly, however those who sought a reform within the system were now rising to clash with the others. It caused bloodshed on many occasions and Kaname was constantly on the run, trying to quell the anger and unrest. The fighting had remained primarily out of Aidou estate and general vicinity, but news within the vampire realm traveled quickly. Things were getting worse.

Hanabusa had been contemplating the situation when a knock at the door startled him from his thoughts. A servant entered and bowed, announcing that his father wished to see him. Hanabusa's jaw clenched, well aware that he would not be able to disobey his father. All of his luster and energy had gone out of him since his solitary confinement. He could not tell if his father was pleased or disturbed by the complete turnaround.

The young vampire wandered into the high-ceilinged office, seeing that his father stood at his usual place by the window, caressing his pet crow. Upon his arrival he noticed that Lilith also sat across from him, her back to the new addition to the room. He slowly approached and resisted the urge to glance at her, having not seen her since the incident.

Lord Aidou took a few moments before he finally turned to address the young vampires. His voice was a low rumble. He was not happy, Hanabusa noticed right away.

"I have received some disturbing news," he said darkly. His eyes glanced at Lilith meaningfully. Hanabusa felt his stomach clench at the memory of waking up next to the other. Had his father heard? Did she tell him? He thought his father would be pleased.

"It seems that Lilith is now in a very difficult situation because of your careless antics," he said slowly. Hanabusa didn't comprehend and glanced back and forth between his father and ex-fiancee. What on the rings of hell was his father speaking of? Lord Aidou saw his son was slow to catch on.

"Only four months from now we will have an addition to the household." Still no reaction. His father's irritation grew. "Lilith carries your child, you dolt!" he finally burst forth. Hanabusa felt the room spin. How was this possible? It had only been that one time and he didn't even remember any of it. How could this have happened? Yori stood smiling at him in the recesses of his mind, but with the sudden acknowledgement of this added information her smile turned to one of bitter disappointment. Hanabusa collapsed reflexively into a nearby chair. He slouched low as his elbow was on an armrest and his fingers massaged his forehead. His eyes slid shut, soaking in what was said by his father. Lilith stared intensely at her clasped hands in her lap, waiting for Hanabusa to say something.

"You're sure it's mine?" he said with fatigue. Lilith's head shot up defiantly.

"Don't insult me," she hissed, stung by the thought that she could even contemplate lying with someone other than Hanabusa. He heaved a sigh as he leaned forward, resting both of his elbows on his knees, clasping and unclasping his hands.

"It would not do to get rid of it?" Silence. Dead silence, it strangled everyone in the room.

"I did not raise you to shirk your responsibilities, boy," said the elder dangerously. "How do you plan to atone for this?" Hanabusa did not respond, staring at one spot on the carpeting below his feet. "Hanabusa!" The demanding tone forced him to respond. He watched in his mind's eye as the distance between him and Yori grew to unfathomable lengths.

"What do you expect me to do?" he said weakly, still not looking up.

"Marry her of course!" howled his father. Hanabusa's eyes slid shut.

"I told you before that I had no intention of marrying her," he whispered. His father stalked forward and Hanabusa flinched, feeling as though he would hit him again, but Lilith's presence seemed to stave off such an onslaught.

"So you would leave her to the wolves? Her and your child?" he emphasized the last. Hanabusa's hands gripped tightly, turning white at the knuckles.

"I don't love her," he said simply. It was too much for Lilith. She stood abruptly and stared at him infuriated.

"But you would love a human! It is outrageous!" Lord Aidou made attempts to signal her to calm down, but she ignored him. "Even now it is impossible and you know this Hanabusa! Now, even the vampire society is crumbling and you would be so selfish as to abandon our child?" She pressed harder into him. "That is lower than you! What has happened to the man I used to know?" Swallowed up by a golden-haired siren, Hanabusa thought. "You know what my father would do to me. Don't you?" she screeched. Lord Aidou had to give it to Lilith, she certainly knew how to act, but then again, it was probably his son's indifference that instigated such a prize performance.

"You will take responsibility," his father said firmly. "It is your duty as a son… and a father." It was a plunging knife into his heart. He did not want this thing that had suddenly invaded his world. He did not want it! But as the seconds ticked away he found fewer and fewer options. He was not so cold-hearted to force Lilith through such a horrid situation alone. Despite their unbalanced emotions, she still had been his friend and closest companion for all of their childhood. Hanabusa's head hung lower as he whispered, as if a guillotine waited above his head.

"Fine. I'll do it." The blade dropped.


	23. Chapter 23

I just spent an hour and a half locked out of my apartment… I'm sorry, but the characters might suffer…

--

Had word reached Yori yet? Perhaps Yuki had let it slip. The invitations were sent in great hurry. Hanabusa smirked sardonically at the fact his father latched onto this wedding so quickly. He did not want his son changing his mind. Given a choice he would have been out of the suffocating atmosphere like a shot. Lilith tried speaking with him, but he simply ignored her very presence. He saw that he had hurt her by doing so, but he couldn't bring himself to really care. Now all of his time was spent either in bed or hovering by the window. Few would venture to engage him in conversations because he would immediately shut them down and leave behind a bitter and angered person with good intentions.

Perhaps Yori had refused to contact him because she was so enraged by his fickle decisions. He wouldn't have blamed her, but really, he would have expected her to at least have voiced her opinion about this new development. Still no word came, even the day before the ceremony, she had not shown and Hanabusa was feeling particularly bitter. The sting of withdrawal from Yori was like a gnawing infection, spreading throughout his body and mind. Maybe she no longer cared for him, instead of him using her, it had been the complete opposite. Only briefly had such thoughts entered his mind, and he reprimanded himself for having so little faith in Yori. Yet, he still could not help but feel hurt by her lack of response to the engagement.

All of the guests had arrived, despite it being quite ad hoc in nature, the wedding was lavish. Everyone was dressed to their best and mingling merrily with one another. Noticeably, the Kuran estate was not represented. Hanabusa had been relieved by this fact. Kaname-sama knew better than anyone that this wedding was a farce and why support such an act. He had yet to hear from Yori and he was growing impatient.

As the ceremony began he half expected to see her gallivanting up the aisle in his direction with a fire in her eye, demanding to know what in hell's name he was doing, but she never showed. Everyone watched expectantly as the vampire playboy signed his death certificate, never to play again.

Hanabusa was dazed the rest of the day, nodding his head to people who walked past, those who wished the newlywed couple all the best. Lilith was beautiful in her gown, but he only glanced her direction in a bored manner. It grated at her. Years before he had adorned her with affection and companionship, but she had never felt further from him. When he held her for a dance it was impersonally and his mind was obviously not in the moment. She tried to distract him with smiles and encouragement, but it was no use. Aidou Hanabusa had checked out completely. Immediately after the ceremony the bride and groom were rushed out and sent on their way only to instantly be separated. It was agreed that Lilith should carry the child to term in another location so as to cause as little stir as possible. Given Hanabusa's current state of mind he could have cared less where she went, as long as he did not have to watch her grow with child, one which rightfully should have been Yori's. The thought had stunned Hanabusa, but what's done was done. Nothing would change what had happened.

--

Hanabusa was greeted coldly at the Kuran estate. After the wedding he was given more freedom, almost in a dizzying release. His father no longer pestered him about Yori and the escorts had been removed. Upon entering the large mansion Yuki descended the stairs with a deadly look in her eye. She greeted him coolly, inviting him into a drawing room. He looked around anxiously as if waiting for Yori to appear at any moment. His heart raced in anticipation. Regardless of the situation and even having survived the ceremony he felt no inhibitions in seeing Yori. He fidgeted and couldn't seem to keep his hands still.

Yuki sat quietly sipping tea across from him, not even attempting to engage him in conversation. The clock ticked quietly in the corner. It was quiet. Yuki placed the teacup gently with a clank on the saucer and placed it then on the table. Finally she looked Hanabusa directly in the eye.

"Why are you here Hanabusa?" She was disgruntled and it was quite obvious. It made Aidou uneasy.

"I came here to speak with Kaname-sama," he said unconvincingly.

"You know as well as I do that he is away." Hanabusa felt trapped by the other's accusing stare. Stop looking at him like that damn it!

"Where is she?" he finally said.

"She's not here." Hanabusa felt his jaw grow lax.

"Then where…"

"Somewhere where you can't reach her," Yuki said flatly. She still did not let up gaze. Hanabusa felt his body stiffen. It as if she was being protected; from HIM.

"Is she all right?" he grit out, trying to hold on to the vestiges of courtesy.

"For now," the other said mysteriously. Yori did not know of the latest ceremony and Yuki hoped to keep it that way as long as possible. In her friend's condition, who knows what kind of shock it would be for her system. "You are a married man now, Hanabusa. You have no business with Yori now." How dare she assume herself to have the right to make these decisions for herself. It had nothing to do with her!

"By marrying you have relinquished any right to ask after Yori," said Yuki matter-of-factly.

"I will find her then and speak with her myself," he said decisively.

"You will not find her." His temper rose, the first show of true emotion in the last two months.

"Who are you to keep us apart?" he roared, standing from his seated position.

"Who are you to ask for her in this situation?" she fired back. He was stunned. Truly had no ground on which he could stand. There wasn't anything left to say. Standing, Hanabusa felt defeated. He excused himself in a veiled attempt of etiquette. Before he had a chance to leave Yuki took another shot at his turned back.

"Your past sins will one day catch up with you," she said bitterly.

"Perhaps they already have," Hanabusa said quietly to no one in particular. Yuki could not hear him, but knew better for him to repeat. She watched him silently leave the Kuran mansion.


	24. Chapter 24

The pain resounded throughout the cries echoing in the night. Yori lay in bed completely drenched in sweat with her efforts. She had made it almost to six months, but the baby was impatient and wished to come forth now. She was anxious to meet the little tyke, but not this anxious. The pain was excruciating. She let out another wail that sent all the birds within the surrounding area into flight. The contraction subsided. She breathed heavily with exertion.

"Hana…" She gasped. The midwife glanced at her.

"Flowers?" the vampiress asked impatiently.

"Hana…"

"Dear there are no need for flowers right now, this process may take the rest of the day, so I suggest you not waste your thoughts on such trivial things…" She was interrupted as another wave hit the girl.

"Hanabusa!"

"Don't push yet, silly thing!" scolded the midwife, her voice portraying the years of experience she had with such things. It was slightly comforting for Yori. She would know then if something was wrong. The pain wracked her body like a bolt of lightning. The midwife sat back with a little bit of frustration.

"This will go nowhere." Turning to Yori she addressed her very seriously. "It might be best that I put you out for the remainder. As a midwife I am able to control your body's contractions and pushes, it would be less painful for you and make the job easier for me." Yori looked at her inquisitively and shook her head.

"No, I want to be awake for this," she gasped between breaths. The midwife shook her head.

"You will bring down the house if you continue on the way you have been. I will bring you to as soon as it is over." Yori hesitated. "Just listen to me dear, this is for the best." Yori finally relinquished and gave full control over to the midwife. Things slowly faded away into darkness as the midwife hovered gentle hand above the girl's head.

"Hanabusa…" was the last thing to slip from her lips before going under.

--

The sounds of birds chirping slowly floated in from the outdoors as Yori's eyes fluttered open. Had it been a dream? The midwife had been staying with her constantly for the last several days, knowing that the time was drawing near. When she had finally gone into contractions, the midwife efficiently set everything up for the birth of the child, Aidou's child. The thought warmed her. The child! She sat up quickly, but placed the heel of her hand against her head, feeling very dizzy. Yori was instantly attended to by Yuki.

"The baby, where is it?" she asked in a croaked voice. Yuki looked away, avoiding the question.

"You've been through a lot, I think you should try to get some more rest." Yori waved off the suggestion.

"That can wait until later, I want to see the baby. Is it a boy or girl? I have to give it a name." Yuki didn't answer. Yori sat up slowly and stared at the other girl. "Yuki, where is the baby?" Still no response. "Yuki!" Yori lunged forward and despite her frail state, her grip was intense, bruising Yuki's slim arms.

"Yuki, where's the baby!" her voice was now panicked and shrill, something very uncharacteristic of her. Yori was still refusing to meet the other's eyes.

"It was stillborn," she finally said in a raspy whisper. Yuki's hands went lax as her eyes widened and glossed over.

"What? But it was kicking and moving only a week ago! I could feel it!"

"These things happen, Yori. I'm sorry." Yori fell back, releasing her friend. Yuki reached a hand out to comfort her, but stopped, pulling it back in and clenching it into a fist. Yori looked around the room with a dead stare. Her eyes became riveted to a small bundle that had been laid out in the cradle that was prepared. It was wrapped gently and lovingly in the blanket she had made in preparation as well.

"I want to see it," she finally said after long, tense moments. Yuki glanced at her and thought to refuse her, but this was something she had little say in. It was Yori's after all. Slowly she stood up and walked to the cradle and reached in. Despite the child having been stillborn, she carried it as though it were simply slumbering. Ever so gently she placed the baby in its mother's arms.

"It was a girl," Yuki said slowly, looking at the still face of the child. It looked at peace, like any other infant simply sleeping away.

"How could this be?" whispered Yori. Her hands caressed and touched the infant's plump cheeks. She stared at it and yet felt dead inside. She felt nothing. Even the aching in her breasts, demanding for a child to suckle was not enough to distract her from the complete angst that was embroiled within her.

"It won't suffer then, right?" Yori finally said, still staring at the little girl's closed eyes. "She won't live a life of danger and being ostracized by others." Yuki nodded, well aware that the other could not see her response, not that it mattered.

"We will give her a proper burial?" Yori looked up with tears in her eyes and Yuki felt her heart breaking. It was not simply statement or request, it was a plea. Yuki's throat closed.

"Of course, whatever you want Yori. I will make the necessary arrangements." Yori smiled weakly and looked down again at the little girl's face.

"I would have named her Aria, you know."

"Yes, she would have been as beautiful as the name," whispered Yuki. Yori wailed and fell in upon the child, curled over in physical agony, sobbing with no end in sight. All Yuki could do was hold Yori in her arms and hoped that this would not crush her long-time friend.


	25. Chapter 25

The midnight moon's light showed itself into the spacious office with a strange sense of familiarity. The space was lit dimly from all areas with artificial candle light, casting its faint mixture of light across the tall figure, contemplating by the window. So the labor had begun according to his pet. News had reached him quickly as his spy had staked itself out at the location that was supposed to have been secluded and secretive, but his eyes had not been blinded to the girl's whereabouts. He had watched patiently the last several months, not only her, but his son's sober disposition. The young man who had once been filled with vivacious life and cocky smirks had vanished from the Hanabusa estate and it was sorely missed. Even Lord Aidou had given pause seeing his son in such a morbid state, but his resolve was reinforced every time he was reminded of the cruel war that was being fought around them. People needed an outlet and should word get out of this human girl's condition the others would prey upon it instantly. They sought distraction so desperately that anyone would be a scapegoat. Hanabusa had been so blinded by his emotions that he was no longer conscious of the consequences and what they would reap not only for him and girl, but everyone within the Hanabusa family. As head of the household, this task had fallen solely upon Lord Aidou's shoulders. It was a heavy burden.

A solid knock interrupted these morbid thoughts as the midwife showed herself into the office, carrying a small sleeping bundle. Lord Aidou's eyes fell immediately to her ward and then looked away quickly.

"It is done, sire," said the midwife, obviously displeased. He nodded curtly and turned to look at the window, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

"Good, Lilith and a nanny shall come by and take it." She was dismissed.

The midwife had been associated with the Aidou family for generations and despite this fact, she aged gracefully for a vampiress. Having been there for Hanabusa's birth as well as Lord Aidou's she was much respected. Only this allowed to her to speak so informally and bluntly with the Lord of the estate.

"It is a girl, sire." He did not respond. "Do you wish to hold her?" Lord Aidou unfurled his hands and walked slowly to his pet crow, extending a finger. The crow glanced at it sidelong and rubbed it affectionately before hopping onto the offered perch.

"That will be unnecessary," he finally answered. The midwife glowered and stepped forward.

"Please, sire, I insist." Her voice was cold and steely. Lord Aidou glanced at her. He may have been powerful, but even he would be foolish to make an enemy of or displease a midwife. Seeing little choice, he disengaged his pet and turned to face the bundle. Within moments the infant was placed in his stiff arms. His body reacted immediately. It remembered having held Hanabusa for the first time as well. Even after living so long he still looked in wonderment at the lifecycle that they could create.

The baby shifted in his arms to get to a more comfortable position. Like most infants, she had not yet learned to control her muscles and as she slept the corners of her lips twitched up and down into little smiles. Lord Aidou found himself smiling back. Looking up, he found that the midwife had disappeared, leaving him little choice, but to continue to hold the baby. With nothing else he could do, he shifted his position so he could ease himself into his large chair. The child did not stir. He had wanted to save his son the fate of this child. One day his transgression would be revealed and Hanabusa will not be able to avoid the calamity that would follow, but this child's fate had been sealed the moment she was conceived. Lord Aidou felt as though he were staving off the inevitable downfall of this child, but truly he would fight bitterly.

Examining the child's face he saw that Hanabusa had been represented very well. In time, perhaps more of his characteristics would show through.

Yet another knock at the door interrupted. Thinking it was the midwife he called for her to enter, but instead Lilith stepped inside followed by the nanny. Her eyes immediately were riveted by the small bundle in his arms.

"Is that it?" she said breathlessly. Lord Aidou stood stiffly, his age finally being felt.

"Yes." He found himself reluctant to letting the little girl go, but relinquished his hold to the nanny as she took the infant away. Lilith did not so much as glance at her as she sailed by. Instead she continued to stare at Lord Aidou. No further words were necessary as she whirled around and followed the nanny out the door.

Lord Aidou collapsed into his chair, digging his fingers into his golden hair. He was sure if he wasn't already, he was damned in hell.

---------------

Hanabusa was taken with the infant the moment he saw her, but that still did not mean he wished to see her, feeling a reminder of his actions that night with Lilith. The mother had ordered a wet-nurse for the child. Once the child was weaned she would move on to blood at what looked to be the age of two. Vampires aged quickly as infants but the moment they began to consume blood it drastically slowed; it was a survival technique.

It was problematic though. The child would not take to blood. It had to be mixed delicately with honey and milk. Only in small quantities could she take the prepared meals. She did not need the regular amounts that most vampires craved at such a young age. It worried Hanabusa, but it did not seem to bother Lilith, the wet-nurse, or his father for that matter. He shrugged it off then; he knew little about raising a child, so he would leave it to those with experience.

Lilith had flippantly said that Hanabusa could name the child and had even insisted up on it. His father did as well, almost with a flash of guilt in the old man's eyes. Perhaps he had grown sorry for forcing his son into this loveless union. Hanabusa's eyes had softened upon instantly looking at the infant swaddled in blankets. Aria; he would name her Aria, the name of his lover's grandmother, it was the only thing he could give to Yori in this situation. Lilith had no clue of the true meaning of the name and the weight it carried, but Hanabusa figured that she never would find out.

"_How many children do you want?" Yori asked suddenly as their pillow talk commenced after making love one night. Hanabusa looked up thoughtfully and then glanced at the young woman in his arms._

"_I never really thought about it. I always figured it would be way in the future, nothing to contemplate. You?"She blushed and hid her face in his arm. It warmed his heart._

"_I'd be happy with however many as long as I loved the father." Hanabusa felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips._

"_What would you name them?" Yori raised her head and answered instantly._

"_Draiden if it's a boy and Aria if it's a girl." Hanabusa's eyebrows shot up in surprise at her automatic response. "They are the names of my father and grandmother. The two most important people in my life before I came to Cross Academy." Her lover's arm squeezed her possessively._

"_And the most important person to you now?" She smiled at him and hugged him tightly._

"_Is there any need to ask?"_

The memory always made Hanabusa nostalgic and more often his mood has been one of quiet solitude, veering away from contact with others including his own child. Watching her was just too painful sometimes. He felt a deep affection towards her, but one that held no logic in itself. Children were never his strong point even this one he was not sure he could bring himself to engage her in any form of contact.

To avoid possible collisions at home with Lilith and his father, Hanabusa ou had begged Kaname-sama to take him on one of his frequent expeditions to quell the unrest that had been steadily rising within the community. Through little effort, Kaname was able to find the exact location of a meeting with the purpose of overtaking the entire vampire society. It was something that would be unforgivable in Hanabusa's eyes. He still did not know what Kaname was planning in terms of replacing the Ancient Council, but he knew his master well enough that the situation would not remain so volatile; it could not.

The door of the small room exploded off of its hinges revealing the tall blond vampire, retracting his outstretched hand. Inside the vampires stared at him with stunned expressions. After seeing that their meeting had been uncovered they made moves to recoil furiously, but immediately stopped when Kaname stepped into view. Instead they cowered in their corners and behind various furnishings. Hanabusa glared at them harshly. Such cowards were planning to take over the vampire realm? Ridiculous. Kaname stepped inside and looked at each that was present and every one of them shivered and looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"This is to stop immediately," Kaname said quietly. No one dared to answer him right away. One brave soul, the ringleader stood up shakily and faced off against the pureblood. Stupid.

"What you did to the Ancient Council was treasonous! Its removal should have been discussed…" He froze. Kaname smiled coldly.

"Do you not remember the original purpose of the Council? It was born from chaos and it returned to it. Something born from chaos cannot bring order especially when it was stunted and weakened by its very existence. You seem to be under the impression that there is an order to everything. I am here to remind you that there is no order, the only thing that does keep things in check is me." Kaname stepped forward intimidating and iced shards of the once intact door crunched beneath his boot. The hapless leader trembled, froze in his place. Hanabusa could have sworn he saw the vampire's soul leave him then and there. He stood back in a bored, nonchalant stance, but truly he was intrigued.

"The vampire realm was once shrouded in a violent existence and the weak would immediately perish. You would be one of the first to go. Only the nobles would be able to survive, it is me who is keeping all of you safe at this moment. Should the nobles decide that you all are worthless and are expendable, I am the only one who would be able to stop the rampage that would incur thereafter." The leader trembled and collapsed at the pureblood's feet. "Now do you see? The Council was corrupt and could no longer see what was best for everyone. That kind of power is dangerous, it could have destroyed us all."

Everyone listened, enraptured by every word. They had not been aware of the reasoning of the disbandment of the Ancient Council, but they had simply been angered by the possibility that someone could do it with so little regard to the rest of the vampire community.

The leader mustered everything he could not to faint there on the spot.

"What do you suggest that we do then?" his voice trembled as he tried to maintain his angry tone. "Without the Council there will be chaos once again. There is only one of you and thousands of nobles." The pureblood smiled once again.

"With patience I will bring in a new era for the vampire race." Kaname felt there was nothing else to say and he turned to leave. One soul ran forward, still not satisfied with this answer, headlong towards Kaname's turned back. He yelled as he bore a stake from inside his cloak, his teeth bared. Kaname simply glanced over his shoulder and Hanabusa extended his arm once again. The ice quickly encased the attacker and he felt with a shattering echo. Everyone stared wide-eyed at their fallen comrade.

"Do not make his mistake," whispered Hanabusa as he and his master turned to leave.


	26. Chapter 26

Yuki knew she had to drag Yori back to the estate. Staying within that small cottage was not helping her friend in the least now. Before it had been filled with happiness and anticipation for the baby, but the dreariness that had now encompassed the area was in respects to Yori's disposition. Yuki visited often, waiting to see when her friend was well enough to bring her back to the land of the living and most of the time she would find Yori sitting near her daughter's gravesite pulling weeds, planting flowers, or simply talking to the infant who would never respond. Yuki pleaded with her friend, almost threatened her on some occasions in order to make her return. It took almost a month before Yuki saw any success in her prodding.

With the promise that Yori could go back as often as she liked to visit the grave, she had been packed up and returned once again to the estate, withered and grave. The staff saw the noticeable difference in the estate manager and everyone did everything they could to make her return as smooth as possible. Yori was not the kind of person to shun her duties, but it was most definitely with less vivaciousness as before. Many of the servants avoided engaging her in any conversation beyond a greeting or a simple relaying of information to complete daily tasks. Yuki had hoped that by distracting Yori her friend would slowly come back to her, but something had inextricably changed.

One night Yuki felt she could not watch her friend any longer in such a state and threw herself at Yori's feet sobbing.

Yuki stared at the girl through the film that had slowly covered her world and was confused. Why was Yuki so upset? What could have made her so distraught? The dark head was nestled firmly in her lap, the small hands grabbing fists full of her skirt. Don't cry Yuki. What's wrong? Yori still felt as if she was looking from inside a bubble. Gently Yori placed a comforting hand on the other girl's head and began to gently stroke aside the hair. Yuki looked up at her with pained eyes, unable to say anything and Yori smiled, looking to comfort her friend, it only managed to send the girl into more fits of wracking sobs.

"Yuki…"

"Yori, please you're destroying yourself. Come back to me!" Yuki pulled the girl tighter, wrapping her arms around the other's legs. Yori was stunned. Had she done this to her friend? At that moment she felt incredibly selfish and guilty. Despite her loss, she had managed to make everyone around her so unhappy and worry about her. Nothing would bring Aria back and she knew she could not remain in this state the rest of her life. Seeing this to be true, Yori leaned down and wrapped the girl's upper body with hers, blanketing her with as much comfort as possible.

"Yuki, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The other girl's sobs began to weaken a little. "I did not mean to worry you so. Please stop crying. You've helped me so much." Finally Yuki looked up with tears and liquid running from her nose and Yori forced herself not to snort at the face that she was being given. Like a forlorn child, Yuki wiped at the liquids as Yori reached out with a handkerchief to wipe away the tears. "I did not realize how much affected you were by all of this. I'm sorry." Yori gazed lovingly at her Yuki and ran her fingers down the girl's cheek. She felt so much older now, but physically it was as if nothing had changed. Yori smiled reassuringly. It would be a slow process, but she would come back stronger than ever.

--

"It is time that we present the little one to the rest of the nobles," said Lord Aidou firmly. Even Lilith was reluctant at this thought at first, but thinking that this would only bind Hanabusa to her side gave her even more resolve. Aidou didn't seem to care one way or another, but he too was not anxious to be presented with the child. He still felt as though he had not come to terms with his responsibility (or lack thereof) for her existence. She was a cheerful infant, clapping happily whenever her father looked at her. She was not deterred by his cold exterior and regardless of what he was doing, she toddled towards him openly, grabbing his slacks and pulling herself up to stare at him with her big blue eyes. Her toothless grin was endearing to him and made his heart warm all over, something completely different from anything he had ever felt for anyone else before. Even when the wet-nurse would rush in to retrieve the wayward child, he would wave her off and pick up the little girl and return to doing what was interrupted, whether it was reading a book, going over some papers or simply gazing out the window. The child loved to be held by her father and would usually fall asleep against his chest.

If Aidou was in the room she would squeal and move so quickly she would trip and fall in her haste to get to him. Instead of crying, she would look at him with a big smile. Towards her mother though, she was estranged and slightly reserved. She did not associate this woman as her mama, like she had been taught and Lilith did not encourage her to regard her as such. As was proper, the child learned quickly to accept when she was to be with her mother, but did not show the same kind of fervor she showed for others. She did not discriminate between others though. Her grandfather was the source of some of her affection. Just as her father, she would prefer him over others in the room unless her father was there, he trumped everyone else.

Though she was such a child, Hanabusa still remained distant and their encounters were far and in-between.

The celebration was arranged with great splendor. The night was encompassed with artificial light, so bright that it was almost blinding from afar. Everyone was invited from far and wide and most everyone came to congratulate the new parents. Aria had been dressed in a beautiful little dress, one that did not allow her to run around at will as in the past. She was to behave as best as possible of a small toddler. Her ability to assess atmosphere was astounding for someone her age and could be extremely well-behaved when necessary, but a complete hellion in other moments.

The toddler scared the living daylights out of her wet-nurse and the rest of the household one day when she had woken from her crib and managed to crawl out. It was in the middle of the day so much of the household was asleep. Hanabusa had been woken by the sudden alarm and had sleepily gotten out of bed to see what was wrong. He had his own chamber and not once had approached Lilith since that fateful day.

Aria was missing! His heart had stopped and clenched into a tight fist. Everyone was astir as they searched the entire mansion, but she was nowhere to be found. The wet-nurse was being scolded severely by Lilith as Hanabusa approached. Everyone backed away as he rampaged closer, roaring at the unfortunate servant, demanding where the child had gone. He had not displayed such intense emotions in a very long time and it took everyone by surprise. Suddenly the chaos was stayed by the happy giggles of Aria. It drifted in from outside and everyone rushed to the window, despite the bright sunlight, many looked away, unable to take the rays. Hanabusa disregarded the burning feeling as he saw his daughter crawling through the grass outside, hand extended towards a butterfly.

No one had time to react before Hanabusa was out the door despite the objections to retrieve the child. He swept her into his arms, checking her delicate skin for any blisters from the sun and found none. He was perplexed as he was ushered back in the door shielding the child from the harmful rays. She merely smiled and clung to her father's robes. Hanabusa was perplexed. Adults were able to withstand sunlight much better than children, they were prone to blistering and burning at such a young age, but she had been completely unharmed.

When the wet nurse moved to take back the child, Hanabusa clutched her to himself and walked away without a word. Silence followed him as everyone stared at him enter the library den and shut the door.

Hanabusa stared at Aria as she bounced on his knee, clapping her hands, but when she noticed his unhappy expression her eyes began to tear up. Seeing he had placed the child in distress he forced a small smile, immediately quelling the encroaching wails. He quietly scolded her under his breath, but did not mean any of it. Rocking her slowly he waited for her to lean on his chest and fall asleep against his erratic heartbeat.

After that experience Lilith had made a point of taking the child with her everywhere. She claimed it was to keep a better eye on their daughter, but Hanabusa couldn't help but feel she was attempting to put some distance between him and Aria. Up until the celebration he had hardly seen her.

Now they were surrounded by many people and protocol dictated that the child stay by her mother's side and with the wet-nurse in tow. Hanabusa glanced at the little one over and over, making sure she was staying out of trouble. Once she had strayed away and gone to a table covered in silverware. Hanabusa immediately stepped forward and moved anything dangerous out of reach and was shortly followed by the frazzled wet nurse. He had to admit, she had her work cut out for her.

The night dragged on slowly as Hanabusa politely accepted congratulations and greetings. It was quite a stir when the Kuran estate was being represented. They had arrived slightly late as was expected and everyone bowed respectfully as Kaname and Yuki entered in all their splendor. Aidou felt a stab of jealousy as he saw Yuki casually link her arm with her fiancée. What followed next made his heart stop. Behind the beautiful couple stood a lone figure, following at a small distance. She had lost a lot of weight, even the dress could not hide this fact, her face was hollowed out and her cheek bones were far more pronounced than he had ever seen in the past. His brow creased slightly as he took this in, but immediately replaced it with a smile as the couple approached. He bowed low, thanking Kaname-sama for coming. Lilith suddenly appeared next to him and wrapped her arm possessively around Hanabusa's arm as Yori came into view. Whispers ran through the crowd like wildfire. Hanabusa couldn't stop staring at his ex-lover. Her eyes were still glittering, despite the gaunt face. Lilith shifted uncomfortably and suggested that Hanabusa show Kaname-sama to the refreshments as the women would stay and talk.

Hanabusa had to rip his eyes from hers before doing as he was told, not sure what else to do in such a situation. Yuki addressed Lilith properly, but coldly.

"Congratulations. I am glad to hear that you have a little one. Is she well?" Yuki said as distantly as possible. Lilith smiled with false pride.

"Why yes, she is, in fact… oh here she is!" The toddler peeked out from behind the wet nurse's skirts at the newly arrived guests. Yori felt her heart stop. Her eyes were riveted to the little one who stared back without any inhibitions.

"Wh… what is her name?" she finally stuttered. Lilith threw a suspicious look before answering.

"Aria. Her name is Aria." Without any foresight the child lunged forward and grabbed the long skirts of this new woman and smiled at her with a big grin.

"Mama!"


	27. Chapter 27

A clamoring from across the grounds attracted Kaname and Hanabusa's attention. A crowd had gathered around where they had just left the women and in a rush they ran back. Yori with a cry turned and tried to run, but Yuki stood in her way and grabbed hold of her, afraid of what her friend would do if she should run off. Yori gasped for air as she felt as if she was being pulled under wave after wave of grief. Her mouth was over mouth to attempt to keep the sobs in check, but they had completely taken over her body. This was too cruel. The gods above it was too cruel. The only reason she had agreed to go was because Hanabusa had ordered her to attend. They must have thought it was enable her to let go of her past, but it had only made her pain all the worse. She gave up fighting off Yuki's superior strength and collapsed into her arms, sobbing into the girl's bared shoulders. It was one of the most pitiful sights anyone could have imagined. The child just stared at her, not sure what had caused such a reaction. Her fingers were firmly placed in her mouth as she sucked on it, assessing the situation.

Hanabusa stood back stunned by this display, not sure of what to do. His immediate reaction was to pull Yori into his arms. Even after all this time he wanted to hold her, his arms itched for that contact and he had to put his hands in his pockets to keep them from acting of their own will. It was not his place to comfort her, ask her what was wrong, what foul thing happened that would require his ability to kill. Yuki rubbed the distraught woman's back as Kaname approached and spoke quietly to both of the women. A servant approached and suggested taking Yori inside for more privacy. As the small group turned to head into the mansion the child turned to follow without a thought. She was suddenly wrenched around as her mother grabbed her little arm in a firm grip.

"No, you stay put," she ordered firmly. Hanabusa saw it before there was even a sign. The child's face contorted into a mask of discontent, her mouth widened into a gaping hole and her eyes slid shut into two little slits. Her face turned red in preparation of the explosion. Hanabusa lunged forward and snatched up the toddler and turned to everyone, telling them to please continue and that he would be back immediately. With that, he followed the group inside. Lilith gasped and growled at his retreating back, then swinging around to look at her father-in-law helplessly. He only shrugged and turned back to continue speaking with another guest.

--

"Yori, calm down. It's all right. I know it was a bit of a shock for all of us. Please calm down dear." Yuki stroked the other's head as it rested on her shoulder, the sobs had returned. It wasn't only until a month ago that the truth had been revealed of what occurred in her absence. Hanabusa was married and had a daughter now. It ripped at her and she tried to think of every possibility of how it could have happened, but she always came back with air. Finally, her employers suggested that best way was to see the situation for herself and she had stupidly agreed to this. Kaname stood back in the corner, watching the two women grappling with the latest events. He still had not heard what had instigated the scene, but he was sure he was not to question, but to allow the women to tend to it.

A knock resounded through the room and Yuki called for the servant to enter, but it wasn't the servant. It was Hanabusa carrying his daughter. Her cheeks were red, but no tears had been shed. She still continued to suck on her two fingers, though she had been told not to do so. Her eyes wandered over the inhabitants of the room and they landed on Yori. Hanabusa was shocked as Aria struggled out of his grasp and wanted down. She never did that. Once she was on the floor, she toddled and then fell forward onto her hands and knees and proceeded to crawl towards the unsuspecting woman. When Yori realized what was happening she looked at the child in terror. This could not be happening. She was frozen in place, not sure if she should run or wrap the child in a tight embrace. Finally the child decided it for her and pulled herself up to her feet and then raised her arms, obviously having a difficult time balancing. She wanted to be held. Everyone stood stunned as Yori stared at the child named Aria, the name of the one who had died. Tears began to pour out and the child was confused. Normally someone picked her up right away, but this woman wasn't doing it. She took a more direct approach. Grabbing the folds of the woman's skirts, she began to bumble her way into her lap, rather unsuccessfully. Yori felt her heart tear into pieces. Yuki reached for the child, seeing it was causing more harm for her friend than before, but the child slapped away anyone else's hands.

Hanabusa was frozen in place, not daring to move forward. If he took one more step towards Yori and his daughter he wasn't sure he could hold back anymore. He watched it all unravel as if in slow motion. Yori's arms came up and suddenly wrapped the child in a tight embrace and Aria babbled happily as she pat her slobbery palms against Yori's cheeks. Yuki was shocked as a smile grew across her friend's face, something she had not seen in a long time. Tears were still pouring out, but Yori felt completely different from before.

"My, you are a lively thing, aren't you?" she said with a watery voice. Aria simply responded with a gurgle and stuffed her fist into her mouth. She didn't stop staring at Yori, never looking at anyone else.

A commotion from the hall distracted everyone including Aria as her mother came running in, obviously distraught and frazzled. Upon entering the den she took in Yori's arms wrapped around the baby and she froze. Her jaw was agape. Finally with a cry, she lunged forward and snatched the infant from Yori's warm embrace. Aria screeched in displeasure as she was pulled away from the nice lady.

"What are you doing holding someone else's child?" She ignored the child's hysterical cries. "You were not invited to this gathering as I recall." Hanabusa stepped forward, but Yori stood slowly, keeping her eyes trained on the other woman, afraid that if she looked anywhere else she would fall into the pit that had opened up beneath her.

"I apologize, I did not mean to have caused such a commotion. I will take my leave." Bowing slightly to the Kuran's Yori moved past everyone quickly, nearly running into the hall and heading for the door. Hanabusa had resisted every possible instinct that told him to go to her from the moment he saw her, but now he could no longer stem that need. With Lilith's arms occupied, he rushed out the door as well, chasing after Yori. Lilith made a move to follow with the child, but Yuki's cold voice stopped her.

"I think it would be best if you stayed here for a little while," she said smoothly. Lilith glared at her and then remembered who she was facing and then docilely lowered herself into a chair, attempting to stop the child's cries, all the while throwing dirty looks at the door through which her husband and his ex-lover had disappeared.


	28. Chapter 28

Hanabusa watched helplessly as Yori was vanishing down the hallway. It was as if it was straight from his nightmares, the ones where he could never catch her. She wouldn't respond to his calls out to her, but simply running as if from a demon. Was he that demon? But this dream was different; she couldn't get away, he caught her. He immediately shoved her into a vacant room, holding her against the closed door, staring at her lowered face, her gasps in between sobs were heart-wrenching. His hands held her delicately on the shoulders, using the door as her support. She kept gasping out his daughter's name and he felt it was pulling him apart. She knew instantly the meaning of the name. In the end this was hurting her more than he could have even imagined. He clasped her to his chest, breathing evenly, but the heart was racing. It had been so long since he had last held her. Her sobs filled the room as he held her tightly. Was it truly this horrible of an experience for her? He had never expected Aria to go to Yori like that. She was an open child, but she had been drawn to Yori, there was no doubt.

He whispered mindless endearments into her ear as he ran his fingers over her head and down her back, trying to soothe away her pain. Her crying truly was one of the most painful things he could endure. Finally her crying subsided and her hands released the fists of shirt she had grabbed unconsciously. She pulled back, but Hanabusa had not felt he could let go. She would disappear again. It had been almost a year and every day of that year had nearly driven him to the edge. Aria was the only thing that had kept him sane at the time.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to fall apart like that. I should go." Hanabusa refused to let her go so quickly. He held her firmly in his arms even when she weakly pushed against him.

"Don't go, please," he said, his voice cracking at the last. He cursed himself for showing such weakness, but he had grown accustomed to showing such things to Yori. In response, she simply burrowed her face into his shirt further, inhaling deeply.

"I missed this smell, this feeling," she said quietly, muffled by the cloth. Hanabusa pulled away slightly to get a better look at her, but she was embroiled with his scent.

"You missed me?" She nodded into his shirt, still not looking at him. "You never came though, I never heard from you," he said firmly. Her reaction was instant. That's right, he had married in the short time she was gone and had a child as well! Pulling away she glared up at him.

"Yes, I missed you, you bastard!" she growled. He was slightly taken aback by the fiery response. "But you went and got married and had a child! I was only gone a short while!" Hanabusa's eyes softened.

"A minute without you is a year for me." She still glowered at him.

"So you get married? To her?" she flourished her arm in the direction from which they came. He shook his head.

"I… I'm sorry." Yori stared at his forlorn face as he looked away, still not releasing her.

"You're sorry?" She shoved him hard away from her. "You're sorry!" Tears returned. Damn, when had she become so weak against this? She had accepted it hadn't she? "Do you know what I went through without you? How many painful days I endured… for you! And you're sorry?"

"Yori…"

"Hanabusa… you are a married man now and have a child to care for. She is beautiful and looks just like her father." It should have brought pride to him, but instead he only felt a stab of guilt. "Take care of her better than you took care of me," she said, giving the final knock-out blow as she swung around and ran out the door. Hanabusa couldn't comprehend immediately her absence before burying his fist into the door, not sure what to do. He had craved to see her, but now he saw that it was only an illusion, things were never to be the same between them.

--

Since Yori's sudden appearance at the estate the child was inconsolable, the only one who could keep her quiet was her father and grandfather and only for spans of time. Feeling helpless, the wet nurse begged the master to call back the midwife in hopes of gaining any kind of insight that would keep the child from pulling her hair or kicking or screaming. Even the midwife was unable to stave the child's cries. The infant's words were limited, but she called her for mother and Lilith was run ragged day and night, trying to soothe child, but it was not to be quenched. The child wasn't sleeping or eating. She was no longer as lively as before, instead she sat in her room playing with dolls and blocks, but was quickly bored with her toys. She was rarely distracted from calling out for "mama" and finally Lord Aidou saw he had to act.

"We are in need of another nanny," he confided to the midwife. She stood off at a distance, staring at his back as he was once again caring for his precious pet.

"You have brought this upon yourself," she said stoically. He did not respond at first.

"I know," he said as he placed a little bit of food in the pet's dish. "I see no other choice or else Aria will perish." He had grown so very attached to the toddler since she came to the household and the thought of her perishing due to his past sins was impossibly. "Please contact the Kuran estate, I will discuss this with Kaname-sama." The midwife bowed and showed herself out.

--

Kaname stared suspiciously and coldly at the elder vampire.

"Lord Kuran, I see that the child has taken an instant attachment to Ms. Wakabe. I implore you, would you allow her to come here to care for the child? She has stopped eating and does not have the same life in her as before. I fear for her safety." Kaname contemplated the suggestion deeply before answering.

"I'm not sure how it happened, but you took the child, didn't you?" Lord Aidou stiffened and let out a breath, almost in relief.

"Yes, it was for the best…"

"Wouldn't it have been for the best to let the parents decide the fate of the child?" Lord Aidou sat down heavily in his chair before looking at the pureblood, it looked as though he was not to be punished, but it was obvious his conscious would take care of any of that and Kaname knew this.

"It is something that I cannot undo. This is the best that I can manage at this point. Aria needs her real mother, even if society does not allow it. Perhaps we can arrange something that is the least damaging for both parties?" Kaname stared at him and the elder shifted uneasily in his chair.

"At the time of her coming out, you will inform Aria of her origins." It was an order, not a request and Lord Aidou could not and did not want to dispute this decision.

"Yes Kaname-sama. It will be as you said."

"I will send Ms. Wakabe immediately." Lord Aidou breathed out in relief, but a whole new set of problems presented itself. What was he to do with Lilith?


	29. Chapter 29

"You did not consult me in this," cried Lilith as Lord Aidou sat calmly across from her.

"It is best for Aria. She is getting weaker by the day and we cannot afford her passing away due to our own negligence." He could hear the teeth gritting in the other's mouth.

"The whole point of this was to keep Hanabusa from his ruin and that woman. If she is here on the estate constantly it is simply asking for trouble!" Lord Aidou cradled his head in his hand gently and rubbed the sides with his fingers.

"We have no choice. The child will not relent…"

"The child is irrelevant in the matter!" Lord Aidou reacted immediately.

"She is my granddaughter and she will not be disregarded in such a manner!" Lilith was immediately silent. She had lost her greatest ally.

"Is this what has become of us? We are grappling over a simple half-breed?"

"That simple half-breed is my granddaughter and is blood to our clan. You of all people should know the importance of this fact," he bit out. Lilith reacted as if she had been slapped.

"She is not even a full vampire though, I have made so many efforts to distance myself from her just for this reason…"

"And that is why she went to Ms. Wakabe. It is your inadequacy as a mother that has caused this to happen. I told you that you were to be her mother, but you did not embrace it in the least. Did you think your sacrifice would end simply by taking the child on as your own? There is more to it than being simply that. There is more to being a parent." The silence that ensued was thick and heady with unsaid words and hostility. Finally Lilith swung around and left quickly from Lord Aidou's presence. He practically collapsed into his chair as he began to reassess the situation. There was no help for it. He would have to bring the human here.

-------

Yori had been informed only shortly before she left that she was going to the Aidou estate. She fought, struggled and resisted the thought of having to be within close proximity of her ex-lover. It sent vibrations through her body every time she allowed his eyes to look at her through the veil of her imagination. She felt as though if she allowed herself to reach through just once, she could grasp him, but it was a masochistic thought and she would immediately withdraw herself away from the curtain that separated them. However the possibility of seeing little Aria again was tempting. She had a wonderful disposition for a child her age and she was drawn to spend more time with the little one. The fact that Aria called for her warmed her. Perhaps she could allow herself this. Since when had she ever allowed herself to not face new twists and turns… eventually…

----------

The moment Hanabusa heard his father's decision he also reacted almost violently. He had finally convinced himself that he could live without seeing her every moment, he could go through life content with the memories of her smiles and sighs, he wouldn't feel the flood of emotions every time he heard her name. This time he would be caged in with something he could not grasp and he felt he could not trust himself to maintain his distance. It would shatter what few pieces of their relationship they had. Yet by not seeing her every day he wondered about her health since that fateful day at his daughter's presentation to the rest of society. She had grown so thin and empty, something had sucked the happiness from her eyes and for a brief moment he saw it return when she held Aria. It would be comforting knowing that he could keep an eye on her and enforce a sterner regimen of food. He tried to convince himself it was solely for the sake of his daughter that he so easily allowed it to happen in the end. The truth was he wanted her more than peace and security, more than a family. Aria was a different topic all together; there was no question he was sold on her the moment his eyes took in the beautiful child and it left so much confliction in his life, wanting to provide her with stability that he knew would not occur if Yori were to come back into his life.

'Treat her better than you did me.' The memory still spread a deep ache throughout his body. Yori and he had an understanding that whatever happened in the past could not and would not overcome the present.

--------

As expected the child took instantly to her new governess and the household finally gained a reprieve from Aria's nonsensical cries. Despite this Yori was still treated coldly. Her presence was welcomed, but it did not feel so to her most days. This estate was purely vampire compared to the Kurans. Hidden behind the veneer of respect for caring for the beloved granddaughter of Lord Aidou was a degree of caution and distance that would not be overcome so easily.

Yuki visited often to accompany Yori as she watched over her ward lovingly. It was on this kind of visit that Yuki appeared sullen and reserved and Yori noted this immediately. At first, Yori waited for her friend to open up to her as she would in the past, however she grew impatient, seeing that it would take some convincing. After much plaguing and questioning Yuki finally revealed what was disturbing her.

"I'm pregnant." Aria's happy giggles floated from the background as she pleasantly explored a particularly dirty rabbit burrow as they sat quietly in the garden, away from all other disturbances. Yori implored Aria to move away from danger distractedly and the child listened. She only seemed to listen to Yori, Hanabusa, Lilith and her grandfather; a very select group. Yori returned her openmouthed-gaze to Yuki.

"That's wonderful! Congratul…" the phrase died in her throat as she took in Yuki's somber expression. Her own face fell a little. "Yuki what's wrong? I thought you would be ecstatic!" The dark haired girl buried her face in her hands and breathed deeply.

"What's the point if Kaname isn't here to celebrate as well?" came her muffled voice. Yori noted the change in how her friend addressed her fiancée.

"Yuki…"

"What do I do?" Yuki's face was firmly planted in the palms of her hands refusing to look up. The other woman stared at her friend for a long moment, absorbing the situation. The words slipped from her lips before she could stop them.

"Don't be selfish," she said coldly. The darker head rose swiftly to see Yori's cold expression as it faded instantly into one of regret. Sighing, Yori rubbed her eyes with her hands as she knelt down in front of the vampiress, taking the clammy hands of the other into her own. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," she said sincerely.

"Yori…" Yuki said shakily with a trembling smile.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. After a reassuring herself that Yuki saw her regret she continued. "Do you love him?" Her eyes held Yuki's with such intensity, she couldn't look away. "Because if you do it won't matter and then you will have a beautiful baby that you will love as well." Tears started slowly then in earnest. Yuki was prone to such expressions of emotions and it was one of the things Yori loved about her. Without completely giving in to the urge to collapse into fitful sobs, Yuki silently nodded. They had both matured so much over the years and had come so far. Yori felt this more than anything now. A smile spread brightly across her face, something reserved only for Yuki and Aria, who speaking of which was effectively rolling in the mud during the absence of attention. She was completely content in her new dirty armor and Yori gently admonished her before walking alongside Yuki inside to clean the child before her family saw the mess she had made.

-------------

Yori had not been present when Yuki revealed her condition to Kaname. She half expected him to already know, but evidently he had been so distracted by the pockets of dissidence spreading across the region that he was caught completely off guard. According to Yuki, he had stood completely still for quite some time. His fiancée thought for a moment he had not heard her, but then… but then he wept. Yori found it so difficult to imagine a vampire such as Kaname crying, but evidently it was not the case. Yuki was panicked and frantically tried to take back what she had said but upon closer inspection she realized he was smiling.

When he finally spoke he declared how wonderful the news was and wished to be married as soon as the next full moon, only three weeks away. Yuki was ecstatic and hardly noticed Lilith as she ran headlong for Yori as they came to greet the pureblood mistress, telling her breathlessly the news. Both women celebrated with happy sighs and cries of excitement, not noticing Lilith's saddened figure. When Hanabusa heard he had been the complete opposite, he even suggested getting rid of the child. As a result he no longer even spoke to her unless necessary. It pained her so deeply. As if on cue, Aidou entered carrying Aria, overhearing the commotion. It took a moment for him to gather what was happening. When it dawned upon him the news, he must have thought the same thing as Lilith because he looked away guiltily before handing the child to her, mumbling she had requested her mother. Aria instantly struggled from Lilith's arms and began to walk towards Yori. Lilith snapped.

"Get back here," she yelled, her voice cold and angry. Aria turned to look at her in shock as did everyone else in the room. She didn't care.

"Aria Aidou! That," she pointed accusingly at Yori still embracing her friend. "Is not your mother! I am!" She swept forward furiously and snatched up Aria and stormed towards Yori, still unable to react. "I don't know what you have been teaching my child, but it stops now!" Aria cried slightly, but seemed to know it would only exacerbate the situation, so instead she nervously sucked on her fingers though she had been told not to countless times, looking imploringly over Lilith's shoulder at her father. Lilith clutched her possessively. Before Yori appeared she had been "mama." Despite the obvious wrongness of this to Lilith she still felt threatened. Though she did not give birth to Aria she still raised her. It was she who should have been dearest to the child's heart, not some stranger, even if it was her real mother.

"I want you to leave!" Just disappear. Aidou finally spoke, reacting coldly, coolly.

"That is not possible."

"Why?" she turned her wrath on him, feeling the pain once again of a lover spurned. "Because you still love her? Because you can't stand to be apart from her?" He stared at her coldly and remained silent for a long moment. His jaw flexed and Yori saw immediately he was angry.

"Because Aria will revert to before and wither away and I won't allow that to happen."

"I am your wife and this is my child. I will care for her as before."

"No, Lilith." His voice was firm and unrelenting. Lilith knew him well enough that when using such a tone he would not give in. She looked back and forth helplessly between him and the others. Upon making an even greater fool of herself Lilith quietly turned and stormed from the room without another word, still carrying the child. Upon exiting she looked at Aria in her arms and her eyes saddened.

"Why won't you accept me? Your father never will," she said tearfully to the child. Aria watched as the other's eyes slid shut painfully. Slowly she reached up and patted her tiny hand against the woman's cheek. She didn't make a sound but responded to her mother's tearful smile with a gurgle.


	30. Chapter 30

The wedding was held on a clear moonlit night, with the glowing orb in all its glory. It was the sister of daylight, engulfing everyone present as the two purebloods were finally joined officially within the vampire society. Many attended from all reaches of the region and each bore gifts that were unrivaled by any other event in the last century. Yuki smiled shyly at the unfamiliar guests, glancing randomly for encouragement from her husband and unconsciously letting her fingers drift across her belly, only showing ever so slightly. No one would have been aware of her situation unless informed previously.

Yori chose to gaze quietly from the background, allowing her friend to absorb this moment, knowing full well that she would later be consumed with chatter once the honeymoon was over. Despite the horrible rebellion growing to a frenzy on the frays of their world, he still managed to set aside time to be with his new wife for at least two days, not exactly a period of time appropriate for a honeymoon, but at this time, no one really had time to relax.

Tensions were on the rise and recently another pureblood was encroaching upon the opportunity that the disorder had reaped. The elders and those of importance met now on a daily basis, debating and shouting out various resolutions to the dissidence, but to no avail. Kaname had officially declared that there was no other option but to defend the land by uniting humans and vampires alike. Preparations were now underway, bringing together all of those who held a stake in keeping the land under the reign of the Kurans. It split families apart, humans and vampires alike, murder and conspiracy ran rampant.

Tonight, however, was different. It was all outside of the bubble that every participant chose to ignore. They all needed some cause of celebration, something to lift the spirits. Yori knew that despite the happiness that was shown at the ceremony, Yuki was not feeling all of it as many would have presumed. She still grieved for her loss of Zero. It affected her so deeply that it changed her very demeanor in ways that nothing else could. Zero who had been her companion as she grew up and best friend during their time as outsiders within the walls of the academy, still haunted her day and night. There was nothing that Yori could do to relieve the pain that she knew that Yuki felt; it was a struggle that was not her own. With Kaname's caring gaze and loving arms, it helped ease her friend's angst, but it would not be able to touch the void of guilt that still ate at the young pureblood, knowing that nothing could save Zero during that time, no matter how much time passed. Yori hoped that with the coming of the baby that Yuki would finally be able to move forward with her life.

"That should have been us," came a voice from the shadows quietly, startling Yori from her thoughts with a jerky gesture. Hanabusa's face slowly emerged, looking intently upon the new governess. It took a moment for her to absorb what he had said and she physically put distance between them as a precaution.

"It was never meant to be us," she said coldly, trying to end the conversation as soon as possible, knowing any communication with him was bound to end poorly. "Shouldn't you be accompanying your wife?" She emphasized the last with a bite. He did not react and let it ripple off him like water and shrugged.

"She will have nothing to do with me now since that day." They both knew what day he referred to and Yori felt uncomfortable with the memory.

"As should any woman with the right mind," she said, turning her gaze back to the happy couple.

"Perhaps I am cursed?" Yori glanced at him, seeing he was smiling slightly.

"You are. You brought upon me more pain than I could have ever bargained for." She did not see him flinch.

"It was not as I would have had it…"

"Spare me." She instantly felt a coldness welling from his direction, but she still refused to look at him.

"You do love her though, Aria I mean," she said, trying to dispel the benevolent air that had suddenly descended upon them. "That is all I need now."

"No it isn't," his voice was cold and angry, seeing through her ploy.

"You know nothing about me and what I've been through."

"Because you won't let me in."

"Give me reason to do so."

"We have much more than you are willing to admit."

"We did, but no longer."

"We still do."

"It is simply your mind attempting to compensate for something that is no longer there."

"It was and it always will be, Yori." The sound of her name rolling from his tongue made her shiver and he saw it. She heard the change in his voice as she felt the tips of his fingers brushing her lower back and she wanted to run as fast and far as she could, but her body was rooted to the spot. She reacted violently, swinging around and speaking through gritted teeth in a lowered voice, attempting subconsciously not to draw attention.

"You left me and everything else behind. You left me to deal with my own pain and sorrow…"

"What pain and sorrow?" He said it so simply she wanted to rip out his eyes.

"To watch our child be born dead!" The chatter of the guests drifted in from the background as she stared at him. His face was frozen into one of confusion, not sure what she had meant. It took several moments for him to compile some kind of response.

"What?"

"You heard me. Our child! She died and then you go and name your other child the same name I intended for her! It was the cruelest blow you could have given me!" Yori knew how ridiculous the accusations were, but she did not seem to care, finally finding a venting release for all of her pent up anger and feelings of betrayal by the one she loved.

"Instead, you go and marry and have another child! Then you name that child the name I had intended for my own!" Hanabusa still remained in shock.

"It was mine?"

"Of course it was yours, you dolt! Whose else was it to be? I was to bring you a family and instead you counter my own intentions without so much as a word!" Her voice was rising and a few eyes glanced in their direction before turning away by the infuriated look Yori shot at them.

"Yori…"

"But I'm glad it happened! I would not want to raise a child on my own. I would not want her to know what kind of father she had." She looked at him disdainfully, clutching her arms tightly around her body, as if protecting it from something. Hanabusa was frantically trying to piece together this bit of information as he felt his hands hang limply at his sides. He had the urge to clench them, but found he had no control over his own body. It did what it was not supposed to do, it did what it wanted. He reached out and grasped Yori around the neck and pulled her in tightly for an embrace, holding her tightly to his own body. She did not struggle, not certain what was happening.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, a strange stinging forming behind his eyes. "I'm so sorry Yori." He kept whispering it over and over again, not taking notice of the looks thrown their direction. Yori however had enough mind to know what scandal was unfolding. She shoved violently against him, gasping for air.

"You cannot comfort me! You cannot make up for what is lost! I won't ever forgive you!" she roared as she ran in the opposite direction. Whatever discretion she attempted, was lost as people parted for the fleeing woman. All eyes watched her run headlong for safety only to slowly return in unison to the perpetrator, who did not seem to notice them in the least. He stared after her dumbfounded.

"Our child?" were the only words to slip from his lips and then a new wave of fresh emotions swept through his mind. It had perished?

-----------


	31. Chapter 31

Showing more maturity than ever in his life, Hanabusa did the only thing he possible after learning of the death of his child with Yori. He cried. In the privacy of his own room of course, away from prying eyes. It was the most emotion he had shown in years. It had been a girl, just like Aria. Her name brought a shock of pain in realization of what this had done to Yori upon her return. It wanted to devour his very being, knowing there was nothing he could do or say to help the pain that Yori had to have felt during that time. Three years on, what could he do? Nothing. He felt helpless, confused, and even betrayed for a brief moment. Why had she not told him? Had she not trusted him with something so life-altering? That thought stung him as well.

For two days he struggled with this information and as the others whispered of the young master's sudden retreat from all things living, Yori stood quietly in the back, knowing full well what had caused this turn of events. She knew him well enough that he would not dare show himself again until he felt calmer and more in control of his emotions. She could hardly blame him, suddenly finding out he had lost a child neither had even met, but she certainly did not feel any pity. Years earlier she had already been through the pain and anger of losing a child alone and now he would do the same. Despite this tendency of logic, Yori still felt the illogical urge to go to him, but stubbornness won out over everything.

It wasn't until Kaname reappeared that Hanabusa was moved to join the pureblood at the forefront of the battles. They would leave and not return for quite some time. It was a reprieve that the entire household dreaded in a strange conglomeration of emotions. Lord Aidou certainly was caught off guard.

On the eve of Hanabusa's departure, his father called him into his office; the place where he had given orders to remove Aria from her mother's arms, the place where he had plotted his son's marriage; the place where he fell in love with his granddaughter. It was his haven yet his purgatory. He made the decision without even realizing it. He would not even tell his wife his decision to reveal everything to his son. It was the least he felt he could do for the one son that would leave his household for war against others of their own kind.

Hanabusa entered slowly if not cautiously, weary of what his father could be wish to speak with him about. The old man sat huddled in his chair, looking frailer than he had in years. The strength that Hanabusa had always admired his father for had seemed to vanish in this moment. He shut the door soundly, but the man did not look up at him. Hanabusa felt uncomfortable, but finally settled into a chair across from the other, waiting for some kind of reaction. For a long moment he was sure his father was asleep, his head bowed over his hands as if in prayer. Finally he spoke.

"We've been living a lie and I only hope that by telling you this now you might someday come to forgive your father." This put the younger on guard immediately. His father still had not met his searching gaze. "I have wronged you. I have wronged Lilith, but most importantly, I have wronged Yori and Aria." The mentioning of those he cared for the most made Hanabusa's stomach jump in ways that was not to his liking.

"What do you mean you've wronged us?" Hanabusa said suspiciously. His father finally looked up to return his son's stare.

"It was for your good and the child's." Hanabusa tried to wait patiently. "Aria is your daughter," he said stating the obvious. "But she is not Lilith's." It was like a thunder crash to Hanabusa's mind.

"What did you say? Then whose…" His voice trailed off from completing the sentence as he took in his father's meaningful look. He heard the bird in the corner pecking at a cob of corn sitting upright next to its perch, completely ignoring the earth-shattering news. "Yori," he whispered. Lord Aidou looked away and stared at the fading carpet. Hanabusa shot up and began pacing, unable to absorb the revelation.

"But… how is it possible you…." He stopped and looked at his father. "You're not capable of something so… evil!" he persisted, trying to redeem the man he had admired all of his life. The word struck the elder like a blow, but he remained stubbornly quiet. "You… you… Aaaaah!" Hanabusa suddenly reached around and grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it against the wall. His breathing came in labored huffs as he stood staring at the shattered pieces. A knock came at the door and a servant peeked in sheepishly, inquiring if anything was wrong. The deadly glare that was thrown in his direction sent him scuttling for safety behind the door. Hanabusa turned his wrath on his father.

"You took her from us?" he roared. "Our child! You stole her from Yori! You put her through all of that pain, put us all through hell and for what?"

"To protect you!" Lord Aidou finally said in his defense albeit weakly.

"To protect yourself and the Aidou name! You could not stand the thought of a human baring the child of our noble line, could you?" There was some truth to this statement.

"What would you have had me do, Hanabusa? Allowed you to bring ruin not only upon yourself, but that of Aria as well?" The name seemed to sober the young vampire only slightly. The minute change seemed to encourage Lord Aidou. "It was for the best! I had no other choice at the time. Aria would never have been able to live as she does now, she would have grown up abandoned and rejected by everyone, I could not let that happen to my grandchild."

"But you could allow her to be taken from the arms of her real mother?" Hanabusa cut in angrily. His father did not rebut. "Does Yori know?"

"No, she thought the child had perished in childbirth." Hanabusa began pacing again.

"I will tell her at once… I will…"

"What will you do? Take away the child from everything she has grown to know? Take away any chance of her being welcomed into society with open arms and a happy life?" Hanabusa stared at his father furiously.

"It would not be your choice! You are no longer my father! My father would never do this! He couldn't!"

"Wake up Hanabusa and stop being so selfish!" His son was shocked by the sudden outburst. If anything his father should still be cowering in guilt, but the man stood tall all of a sudden, the man he had grown up knowing. "That child is safe, happy, and has every opportunity that this society can offer. You would take it away for the simple selfish reason of being with that human? You would sacrifice your own daughter's future? I arranged this knowing it would haunt me the rest of my life, but it was a sacrifice I made, even if you can never forgive me. But even you must be aware of what it would do to the child if you were to expose her now." The words sunk in slowly and with every passing moment Hanabusa felt like he was being shoved into a dark cage. He wanted to lash out and resist, but knew that his father spoke the truth.

"Don't tell Yori, it would only bring her more pain to see her child being brought up by others. I've allowed it thus far so that she can be with the child, but don't destroy it now. It's the best I could do given the situation." The air left Hanabusa and he collapsed into a nearby chair.

"What would you have me do?"

"Bear it," his father said automatically, without hesitation. "I have inadvertently drawn you into my sin, but it is something that we must take on for Aria's sake. Do you understand?" Lord Aidou did not even look for a response. He turned away to stare out the window, his favorite spot.

"You will go with Lord Kuran as planned and I will watch over Aria here." Hanabusa scoffed and his father glanced at him sharply.

"I would not jeopardize the safety of my own flesh and blood. Aria is precious to me, to all of us. In return I will also watch over Yori equally as fervently." This admission caught Hanabusa by surprise. "At the time of Aria's coming of age, I will personally take it upon myself to tell her of her true origins, but until then this must not leave the room… for her sake." The crow batted its wings in the ensuing silence and then made its leap to its master's shoulder. "Just make sure you come back alive to see me tell her," he said quietly. Hanabusa clenched his fists as he stared with mixed emotions at his father's straight back.

"Go now, and prepare for your departure." He felt he needed more time to think over everything, but in the end, deep down, he knew his father was right. This could go no further than this room. And he would do as his father suggested; bear it.


	32. Chapter 32

It was the enemy who had first employed the use of humans to attack during the day, as opposed to the traditional warfare waged at night by the vampires. It put everyone on edge and Kaname was having a difficult time keeping the restless from going into outright hysterics. Hanabusa stood back and watched sedately, as he gave instructions prompted by his master. His loyalty was not unique to just his own person, but ran strongly throughout their forces. They were fighting not simply for their land, but in honor of the Kuran family. Pacifism was something that ran deeply within Kaname's blood and Hanabusa knew how much this war was wearing on him and others could sense it as well, though Kaname's exterior remained in complete calm.

Hanabusa watched the hidden signs of Kaname's restlessness as well. There was a child at home that was going to be waiting upon his return and he wanted to be there to hold it. Hanabusa too wished to be with his family now more than ever and yet in the same breath he knew he needed this time away from them to collect his thoughts. The battles were a perfect distraction for such a momentous task. Everything in battle blurred together into one long tidal wave, one clashing the ground after another. There was little he could do but to fly into these raging waves with an abandon that would have made his father's hair turn white.

One such battle was raging around him in its usual blur. The ferocity of the moment was all encompassing as human and vampire fell alike. The hunters joined the fray and each was set against one another with such a wild abandon, it made the earth tremble beneath their feet. Day and night the sounds of battle were heard for miles around and within the middle of it all, Kaname stood steadily with Hanabusa by his side, pushing his forces within the eye of the storm.

Hanabusa was his master's protector and he took his job as though it were his own life or that of his loved ones. As he had grown to know the situation more, the politics of the battles, and the constant attempts by the enemy to demoralize their forces, Hanabusa found a degree of peace within himself. He did things he would never have fathomed and it changed in him in such a way that he no longer held that aura of a maturing youth. He had become an adult in those long months at war.

Finally the opposing forces had been pushed far up into the mountains in a retreat. To keep them from being overtaken, traps and ambushes were laid out desperately to hide their tracks. At one point a mountain of boulders buried Hanabusa as he had led the way up a steep path. So much for coming back safely. It was only thanks to his regenerative genes that he was able to recover in a fortnight. He had practically pleaded with Kaname not to send word to his father that Hanabusa was to return home. He would stick it out by his master's side and away from what he knew he would face upon his return home.

They had received word that Kaname's son, Zero Kuran, had been born in his absence and Hanabusa felt the impatience mounting. Perhaps it was only this that saved the enemy's retreat. Kaname pulled up short and handed the reigns over to another, instructing that as a degree of safety and reprieve from the fighting was surely to follow, he would take the brief moment to return home to his child whom he had never seen. Hanabusa had seen his friend's jaw clench momentarily at hearing the name of his son, but within an instant he saw the look of irritation turn into one of acceptance. He could not forbid his wife anything, especially leaving her side in such times.

Knowing Hanabusa was anxious to see Aria, and perhaps Yori as well, Kaname requested Hanabusa to return as well. It would be good to be home, if only for a while, but as they approached the estate, Hanabusa wasn't so sure.

--------------

It had been several months since Zero was born. Yuki doted over him and refused to allow a wet nurse to take him instead. She kept him with her all the time and even when she made calls on Yori. As was customary, he grew quickly and Yuki always voiced a pang of regret that his father had not been there for his birth. Any lesser woman would have been bitter about the situation however Yuki was no ordinary woman. She understood the dire situation their land was in and she could not be so selfish as to sacrifice everyone's safety simply to make herself happy.

Aria was absolutely delighted with the boy and set to holding him, rocking him and staring at him for long hours. It was rather disturbing to see such a young girl enthralled so much with the baby. She would coo at him and gently rub her finger across his soft cheek. On occasion she knew when the adults were coming to take Zero away and she would hide with him in a closet, sending them into a near frenzy trying to find them. Yori scolded her rarely, but seeing her best friend in such a fright made her upset as well.

It was on such an occasion that Zero's father returned trailing behind Hanabusa who had grown reluctant in the last stretch towards home. The house was in a panic as everyone was setting out to find the missing children once again. The boy had grown a bloom of dark hair and had started movements towards crawling. It would only be a short while before he would be running around as rambunctiously as his counterpart. The two children were nearly inseparable at this point.

Yuki thought she was seeing an apparition at first when she saw her husband step into the foyer followed by his loyal friend. The household's panic seemed to stall for long breathless moments as the two entered, the sound of their muddied boots clicking against the marbled floors. In a sudden explosion of flurried movements word was shouted that the master's were home.

Yori stood frozen in the doorway, as she had rushed with the others to see the long-awaited return of the master's son, Hanabusa Aidou. His hair was mussed and unkempt, unusual she thought immediately, but it wasn't necessarily a look she disliked. It took only moments for their eyes to meet and a split second for her face to portray her thoughts, "welcome home." Aria came speeding from one of the back halls, the child held carefully, yet tightly, in her arms. He squealed in laughter as he was jostled towards her father's open arms. They enveloped both children almost instantly before Kaname reacted. No man was to hold his child before he, not even Hanabusa Aidou. Kaname's arms were sandwiched between Hanabusa's chest and his daughter, well aware of the fact that the little bundle of soft flesh in her arms was more than likely his son. He had received word of her unusual attachment to his son and he knew the moment he saw her running in their direction that it was his son that she carried.

Within an instant, Zero was in the arms of his father and he only stared openly at the dark, tall figure. Both examined each other, sized each other up and took in what they saw and what they found they found satisfactory. Zero accepted him and immediately placed his fingers into his mouth and laid his head against his father's chest, staring at Aria from his perch as she rubbed her face into her father's neck in a hug that left all others forgotten. The child frowned slightly and raised his head to reach his open arms towards her, making gurgling sounds that were nothing more than disgruntled expression.

Both fathers looked astonished as Aria responded and then reached for the other as well. Together they were set down on the ground simultaneously as Zero grabbed hold of Aria's hand and then continued to glare up at Hanabusa who openly stared back menacingly at the little boy holding his precious daughter's hand so openly. It did not matter that he was but an infant. No other was to hold her hand like that but him!

The lightening glares that passed back and forth were interrupted as Yuki burst across the floor and flung herself into her husband's open arms.

"Kaname! You're back! You're back!" she kept weeping as she clung to him strongly. He was slightly stunned by her strength, but finally his eyes slid shut as he returned her embrace. The happy couple continued to hold one another as Hanabusa's gaze was caught as well. She stood silently in the doorway. Her eyes looking nowhere but at him. Her eyes made him understand more than words.

The children standing betwixt it all glanced at each other, one too young to stop sucking his fingers, the other growing too old to do it anymore.


	33. Chapter 33

Lilith did not come to greet him as did the others; in fact he still had not seen her since his arrival. He learned from the servants that she was embroiled in household responsibilities and would be there to welcome him as soon as possible, but he knew that she was going to avoid him until the very last possible moment. Things had fallen away so far for the two of them. He honestly felt less pang of regret knowing the deceit she had played upon him and his loved ones. Marriage was simply a social definition attempting to encompass the relationship between a man and woman, however, what then would they be defined as when there was nothing but the name to call them by?

Lord Aidou came to greet his son immediately and kept him hostage in his study, talking about the ferocity of the battles. His father's eyes glittered as his son transferred image after image of the fights and broiling clashes that he had experienced. Hanabusa had not been aware of his father's attraction to battles and warfare. According to Lord Aidou, he had once fought, a very long time ago, another lifetime ago, almost gone from memory. It had been petty and short-lived. It was nothing like the long and consuming war that was overtaking the land. Had he been younger, he too would have joined the fight like so many others.

It was well into the morning before Hanabusa managed to extract himself from the never-ending questions that flooded from his father's lips. The light was beginning to show above the horizon and he was certain that the servants were busily closing the drapes throughout the mansion. He dragged his feet as he reached his room to tumble into a much-needed rest. Inside he saw that a lone figure stood staring out the window and for a long moment he stared at the gentle curve of her neck, the way that her hand clasped the curtains, the other resting gently within the folds of her dress. It was not until he quietly shut the door before she spun around, she had been so completely lost in her thoughts that she had not even noticed his entrance. She struggled visibly to say something, but nothing seemed to leave her lips.

"Hanabusa…" The young vampire stood rooted to the spot, not sure what to do, but what happened next he was not ready for in the least. She finally gave up on trying to come up with saying anything and simply flung herself headlong into his unsuspecting arms. To keep them from toppling over his arms wrapped around her reflexively as they slammed up against the door. Her fingers became lost in his shirt as she hid her face in his chest. His eyes were wide with shock. He heard her mumbling lost words into his shirt and it only occurred to him a moment later what it was that she was saying. You're back. You're alive.

Seeing that she would allow them to remain that way if he let it until the world came crashing down around them Hanabusa reached up and gently took her chin into a firm hold, forcing her to raise her teary gaze to his. No words could be said, they had all been said in the past. It was an understanding that they had always held, but secretly locked away. She still loved him. Ever so gently he examined her face as one tear after another fell and finally smiling, he lowered his lips to hers, taking them into a loving embrace. It was a brush, then a caress and then a suckling motion. He took his sweet time, knowing how much he had longed for this, how dearly he had wanted to take her into his arms and do just this very thing. His heart was set to burst.

Reaching around, he turned her so her back was to the door instead and continued to explore her mouth, his hands almost afraid to wrap around her, not sure if he would crush her to him and she would suddenly disappear into a cloud of smoke as she had in his dreams. But this was not a dream. Her smell and the soft fingers entangling in his hair were real.

Yori had enough of his gentle probing. She had longed to see him ever since before he left for battle and the ache only grew more excruciating as time passed. The moment she saw him arrive at the estate she knew that no matter how much she tried to ignore it, rage against it, fight until she was breathless, she would never be able to be free of his hold. She loved him too much and her mind was saturated with thoughts of him. The image of him being injured in battle was almost unbearable. This only made her grab hold of him almost violently and force him to open up to her. His fangs actually nicked her lip as was tradition and he felt his control slipping with the small coppery taste of her blood.

With a growl he wrapped her into his arms and practically flung her into bed. She reached for him desperately as they came together with her moving in the most tantalizing ways. Hanabusa could not be rid of his clothes fast enough and Yori struggled frantically with her own.

"I missed you," he managed to growl out before taking her lips once again in a deadly lock. Her hands slid up and down his chest, over his shoulders and down his back. Her legs wrapped around his as her hands then grabbed his hips to pull him to her. He gasped at the warmth he found there and let out a groan as she moved her lower body in circles.

"Hanabusa, I need you, for so long I've needed you!" With a cry he entered her in a fevered rush barely giving her time to adjust. His head lowered down and nipped her neck as his hands wandered to gently squeeze her breasts, something he had ached to do in his dreams and in the moments of pure desire. "Ah! There! Yes, don't stop Hanabusa!" He obeyed as his thrusts became harder and more forceful. His groans intermingled harmoniously with hers as his pace increased. She met him every time in perfect unison. The sound of their bodies smacking and rubbing only made the moment headier as Yori reached her first climax. Her entire body relaxed into a puddle of unmovable flesh.

Hanabusa pulled away to look at her and smiled. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw his fangs elongate.

"I'm not done with you yet," he said as he rolled onto his back carrying her with him. Her hands propped her up on his chest as he began moving once again, coaxing her into another journey to the stars. His hands held her hips firmly as he plummeted in and out over and over again. The heat in the room grew as Yori's voice was muffled against her fist, her back arching in the most alluring way. Hanabusa stared at her for an awestruck moment. She was dazzling as the sun was beginning to rise and seep in through the curtains. It only renewed his efforts as he watched her breasts move with his own demands. Reaching up he pulled her down to take one into his mouth as he continued to take her. Her hands buried themselves in his hair as she fervently kissed his forehead as he suckled. Hanabusa felt his own climax running higher as it approached.

"Don't move! I want this to last," he ordered. Yori looked at him astonished for a moment, but then a impish smile came across her face.

"What, you mean like this?" She rolled her hips in a deadly circle, forcing him to emit a startled cry. "Or this?" She flexed her muscles, tightening around him. With a burst of passion Hanabusa rolled her onto her back and took them both the final leg of the journey.

"Yori!"


	34. Chapter 34

It took the entire day for Hanabusa to recover and make his eyes focus on objects, so much was their lovemaking and so earth shaking was its effects. He clung desperately to her over and over again. Even when she wished only for a moment to breath he would crush her to his chest, insisting that she were not to move an inch without his say so, afraid she would disappear once again. They lay huddled in the covers and Hanabusa felt for the first time in many years the beginnings of happiness and a degree of stability in that happiness. His father could not say anything to him from this point on and Lilith was no longer making herself a barrier. The thought made him squeeze her to the point where a small croak escaped her lips. She smiled at him with a dazzling grin, like a little girl who had gotten what she wanted. It reminded him of Aria's beaming face and then he felt a small pang of regret and looked away instantly. Yori noticed this immediately and pulled him back for a heartfelt kiss.

"When do you leave again?" she asked, knowing she didn't wish to truly know. Hanabusa didn't seem to want to answer either for a moment before answering.

"A fortnight unless we are called back. Judging by how things were looking before we left we will be leaving earlier." Yori heaved a long sigh as she held him tightly in a possessive grip.

"I can't stand the thought of you going back there." Hanabusa glanced down at her and returned her hold, settling into a more comfortable position.

"I will come back, especially now that I have you."

"You've always had me."

"There were times I was not so sure." Yori snorted in and unladylike fashion before sitting up on her elbows to stare into his eyes.

"I can't let you go back there. It would tear me apart to see you go again. You know that Kaname-sama will be perfectly fine. He is strong and incapable of defeat." The silence was unsettling.

"Please Yori don't make this harder than it already is." She attempted not to retort back by chewing on her lip. To try to ease her discomfort Hanabusa pulled her in for a loving kiss. "I love you Yori. That means I will always come back to you." Tears formed slowly around the rims of her eyes. For so many years she had waited and begged and pleaded to hear those words and finally at last he was saying them on the threshold of possibly never seeing one another again. It was too cruel.

"How could you say that now after so long? Why could you not have said it earlier?" she said rebelliously.

"Because you can't force these things. I had to do so many things and become something more before I could really embrace my feelings. Besides, I am a man after all; we're slower than you women."

"Then if you are suddenly so wise about the ways of women, you know how stubborn I am about letting you leave. I can't sit here and wait for you."

"Aria needs you here. She would be a mess if you left her to follow me because you know I have no choice but to go."

"She is of the age now where she can take care of herself. She had young Zero now to hold her attention." The name of the young pureblood brought a small frown to Hanabusa's face. There were many emotions that arose when the relationship between his daughter and Kaname-sama's son was brought up. It was disconcerting that his daughter and another should be so close, especially a male. His simple paternal instinct told him to never allow the boy near his daughter while he was around, but saw it would completely illogical to demand this. There was also the fact that he could not have her getting too close only to be hurt in the future. She was only a half-blood and then to be associated so casually with a pureblood was unthinkable. Society would never allow it once her true lineage was revealed. Yes, he would return safely if anything to keep a close eye on the budding relationship.

Already he could see a plethora of problems arising from this situation. It would be something to discuss with Kaname when the time was right.

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It was perhaps no secret that things between Lilith and Hanabusa had grown cold, if anything colder than it had been ever before and it was also no secret that he was now sharing his bed with his ex-lover. It was quite scandalous, but Lord Aidou saw to it that the word spread no further than the estate lines. His son's behavior was risky, but he felt little he could do to keep what happiness he could offer his son in the days leading up to his return to the battlefields. So Yori and Hanabusa continued to hold one another close, taking for granted the small amount of peace found in one another's arms. He felt quite guilty in the fact that he would be leaving once again only to abandon Yori to deal with the horrible treatment he was sure Lilith would inflict upon her once he was gone, but there was not much he could do in this area. He would simply trust in his father's words that he would protect Yori.

As the days passed, Yori became more withdrawn and quiet and Hanabusa was positive she was contemplating his inevitable departure and he allowed her that, not wanting to cause her any more pain than necessary.

Yori seemed to come to a painful decision during this time as well and managed to sneak away in one of the wee hours of the day to return to the gravesite of her daughter, Aria, the one who had not been born. She stared at the small gravestone and slowly began tending to the site. It had been far too long since the last time she had been there.

"You are not forgotten little one. I am so sorry. I will always remember you," she whispered.

--------------

When the time finally arrived for Hanabusa and Kaname's departure everyone came out to bid farewell to the noble vampires turned warriors. There had been little communication between the children and now would be the first time in seeing each other for at least ten days. They practically flew to each other's sides, never releasing their hands from one another. Hanabusa glared glumly at this and reached to pick up his daughter to carry her around with him until the last possible moment. The only people who were not there were Lilith and Yori, two people everyone would have expected to be there.

Hanabusa was not at all surprised. He knew the great pain Yori was in watching him go. The night before had been a long act of love and sorrow. Actually seeing him leave would have been asking too much of her. Lilith, well, he wasn't quite sure what to expect from her anymore, if he ever had in the beginning. Yuki wept openly as she embraced her husband as she picked up their child as well, and Kaname simply returned the embrace by taking his family into his arms for a long moment. It was quite tearful for everyone there. Finally, the group was to undergo their journey hopefully only to return to them soon once the conflict was resolved. It had been going on for almost a year now.

Yori watched the departing figures stubbornly from the second floor window. Lilith stood behind her, watching her cautiously.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Lilith said angrily, a rather surprising reaction thought Yori.

"It is within my right to go wherever I please. I will leave Aria in the wet nurse's hands and she will be well cared for. She is old enough now to behave herself."

"You cannot make me believe that you would so callously shun the child you have cared for for so long." Yori whirled around on the vampiress.

"You believe that I would do this so easily? To leave my own child?" Lilith stood stunned, her mouth agape.

"You… you knew?" she cried. "And you still allowed this situation to continue?"

"Of course I knew! How could you expect me not to know my own child? I've known since the moment she called me Mama." Lilith collapsed to the floor and a flood of tears seemed to spring forth.

"You will take her away won't you?" she said in agony. Yori looked at her pityingly and hesitated to answer.

"It was you who first took her away from me, but the damage is done and she is happy. Here she has more opportunity than I ever could have given her. It was enough for me to simply watch her grow enough that I felt she was safe here and well loved." Lilith tried to hold back her sobs long enough to look up at the other woman, the one she had wronged.

"You took everything from me for your own personal gains. I've watched you and seen how it has cost you. Now it is your chance to give it all back to me. Allow me to leave peacefully and promise to look after Aria as if she was your own, just as you have been doing all these years." The emotions were too much to bear for Lilith and she was so overwhelmed she was unable to answer. Instead she simply buried her face in her hands, her hair falling like a curtain. Yori stopped herself from going to the woman and pulled back. Seeing she needed no other words of approval, she made her way to the door. "Tell Aria that I do love her very much." With that, she turned and walked out the door, never looking back.


	35. Chapter 35

"What?" roared Lord Aidou at Lilith as she sat dejected in his office once again. "What do you mean she has left!"

"She gave no explanations. I have yet to tell the child, she will be very distraught."

"Find her! We will bring her back immediately!" Lilith shook her head.

"She was very determined. All she said was that she was going to finally do what she wants." Lord Aidou rubbed his forehead slowly in circles, easing away an ensuing headache.

"Hanabusa must not know of this. We will retrieve her before this happens. Until then tell Aria that Yori will be returning soon." Lilith affirmed this with her silence.

"Lord Aidou, I believe when Hanabusa returns it would be best if I leave this house." The elder did not seem surprised by this suggestion.

"That is not possible. You will remain within this family until after Aria's coming of age; that is agreed upon."

"But…"

"That is all. Send someone to fetch Yori. We will bring her back before Hanabusa knows of anything."

--------------

Several months passed and Hanabusa had not received word of Yori, he only heard via letter that everyone was faring well and there was little to report or bring to his attention. Once again, he had little he could do but sit back and wait until another opportunity arose in which he could visit his family. He did miss his daughter dearly and the responsibilities of a father were beginning to plague him. Who would be there to watch over her? Who would make sure that she and Zero behaved? Who would keep anyone else male away from his precious daughter? Surely no one could do it better than him; only he knew how to deal with such people. It would require a quick and civilized display of threats and the problem would be solved instantly. Zero would be another matter. It was a unique situation which he would have to step carefully around. He could not have his daughter toyed with in the future. Zero was after all a pureblood and it would not be acceptable for him to be seen too much around Aria. It would only bring more pain and suffering to her once her coming of age arrived.

The troops were worn and tired, but still new recruits flooded in to replace others, so there was a constant supply of soldiers. Kaname managed everything brilliantly, but the enemy had also recruited and renewed its efforts. To avoid further bloodshed, the pureblood offered a treaty and peaceful discussion between the opposing forces, but the messenger who delivered the offer came back astride his horse and without his head. The reply was clear.

Stepping out into the fresh night air from his shabby tent Hanabusa took a deep breath and thought of Yori, seeing her in his mind's eye playing with and holding their daughter and for a brief moment he allowed himself to imagine that they had all been a happy family from the start. Regret always quickly followed. What else was he to do? What else could he have done? Once this infernal war was over he would fly home and make things right, everything would change for the better. He would make it all work. A soldier interrupted his thoughts as he approached the noble.

"Sire, Kaname-sama wishes to speak with you." He nodded in a silent response and immediately made his way to an equally shabby tent only slightly bigger. Years ago he would never have allowed himself to enter such an abode, but times had changes, war changed him, love changed him, Aria changed him. It was inevitable. Though he did mentally note this change, he also saw that he still retained his desire to remain as brushed and presentable as possible.

Upon entering he saw Kaname standing with an arm wrapped around his waist and fingers delicately holding his chin. He was as young and vibrant as he was in the past, but there was a new cloak of knowledge and a heaviness that seemed to surround him now since the rebellion began and the eventual war with the bordering pureblood. The other was not as powerful as Kaname, but his forces were overwhelming and even with Kaname's assistance there were difficulties in securing ground. Even with the assistance of all of their Night Classmates in a spectacular reunion, it was quite impossible at times. Tonight Kaname was going to suggest a new method of battle; well not so new. He would employ the old ways of fighting mixed with the new. There would be some rebellion from within his own forces, but none could refuse him.

As in the old days humans had assisted in many a battle, just as they were doing in this one, only in this one there were hundreds upon thousands who continuously showed themselves to be valorous and willing. It certainly changed the minds of many vampires, beginning to shed some of the more common assumptions about their partners in war. Kaname made the decision to abandon the old ways and knew that this would cause a riot for many, especially the older generation and possibly open another door that he would later regret, but he felt there was little he could do to stop the course of events that had begun with his elimination of the Ancient Council. The fallout he hoped to minimize, but he worried much about the safety of his son because of his decision.

Kaname would give his blood to a select few who would then lead the attacks. They would be stronger, faster, and more powerful, increasing their forces tenfold without even bringing more people to their deaths. Hanabusa would be one of the few in addition to Ruka, Akatsuki, and Seiren. Only four were to be given the much sought after blood of Kaname-sama and once the power was distilled within the chosen ones it would then be transferred to the human forces. Pureblood was difficult to swallow for humans and could be fatal, so this was the only method in which it would not kill them. The power would only last as long as it was in proportion to the amount Kaname would give, but in the old ways, it was forbidden to taste the pureblood's power much less having it given to humans even in a distilled form. There would be much resistance indeed.

What concerned Kaname was that if it was no longer considered taboo even by him then would others seek to take not only his blood, but that of his precious wife's and son's? It was something he would become vigilant for in the future. Right now there is a war to fight.

Hanabusa immediately saw that the others had gathered ahead of him. The others acknowledged his entrance only to turn their gazes upon their leader. Once they were informed of the plan the uproar began. Yelling and protests from all four of them seemed to erupt simultaneously, each saying they were unworthy of doing such a thing and that it was forbidden. How could Kaname-sama expect them do such a horrendous thing? It was too much!

"SILENCE!" A gust of power swept through the tent and everyone immediately obeyed. Kaname stared at each directly making sure they were listening. "I have thought long and hard about my decision and it is final. We will begin arrangements and proceed with 'Blood Share' within three days. We will prepare the troops, but do not tell anyone of this new method." No one moved and finally Kaname set to unrolling a map and explaining the course of action to be taken during the ensuing battle.

"'Blood Share' is that what it will be called?" mumbled Hanabusa, not happy with this plan in the least.

-----------------------

For months she had been training with the others and it was not unusual for women to join the fight, but it was unusual for such a young boy to join. Rather than deal with the harassment that went with having breasts, Yori dressed herself as a young lad who had signed up for the fight. Her hair was now tied up into a messy knot in the back, covered by a scruffy looking hat with flaps covering her ears. Her clothes fit loosely and she certainly looked to fit the part.

Yet by avoiding one set of problems she was thrown instantly into a new grouping. The young fledgling was easy to spot and pick on by all the other men and open prey for some of the women. It was quite a change, but no one questioned the feminine looking lad. He excelled faster than others in fighting, with a determined look and an obvious goal that no one else could see. He kept to himself and spoke rarely. He was the perfect prey for pranks and bullying, but he bore it silently. Sometimes some kind soldiers would aid him, but only a few remained close by. His name was Dreiden and a big burly fellow took an instant liking to the lad. He reminded him of his son left back at home and took him under his wing, fending off the others whenever possible.

Dreiden's savior's name was Vaugt, a big man with a scar running across his face between his eyes, from a previous battle it was presumed. He kept his head shaved, easy to spot in the daylight during their morning skirmishes with the enemy. Dreiden saw the incredible vigor the humans showed and it warmed him to see that the chasm between humans and vampires was growing smaller, despite the small discrimination showing its ugly face at random. Kaname-sama forbade any fighting between the forces and everyone respected it as much as possible, but there were still moments of awkward staring contests and distrust. It was a slow battle within the war on their side, one that Dreiden was sure was being dealt with on the other side as well.

Dreiden sat around the campfire trying to fend off the cold, blowing into her hands listening to the chatter. Her ears were always perked to hear Hanabusa's name. Anytime she saw him she would turn her back to avoid him seeing her and always she stayed at a distance, but simply being able to see that he was whole and alive put her at peace. During battle, her heart lept every time the order was given by him to advance. She forced herself many times to look away to the adversary at hand, knowing looking away would kill her, but she always kept him within her peripheral. He fought magnificently, doing things that would have set her teeth on edge if she had heard it second hand, but watching it made her take in all his glory and determination. He was the God of War in battle and he took risks that made her want to scold him, but still she remained hidden. Once he had accidently bumped into her and apologized without looking only to blankly glance at her as she sped away. He was instantly distracted by some other duties thrown at him and Yori made a point of avoiding him. If she were found out he would send her away instantly and she would be damned if he would force her away again. Their separation was no longer an option and she would die to stay with him.

Dreiden's thoughts were interrupted as Vaugt plopped down on the seat nearest him. The big man huddled together like a little kitten, trying to warm his hands against the fire as the younger blew into his fisted hands. Reaching around Vaugt pulled out a blanket and threw it across the young man's shoulders and only grinned at the surprised look sent in his direction.

"It's cold and a little guy like you needs to keep his health up." The big man settled down closer to the fire. "I heard that orders are coming down that we are attacking head-on tomorrow. We will be led by the nobles." Dreiden's jaw dropped.

"You mean they will be at the frontline?" The other nodded his head gravely.

"It sounds dangerous, but evidently something is going on that the rest of us are not privy to." Dreiden stood up instantly, the blanket forgotten as it tumbled to the ground. His fists were clenched tightly at his side.

"I will join at the front as well!" he declared. Vaugt looked at him quizzically from the ground only to return his gaze to the fire.

"Calm down your hot blood. I know you're anxious for battle and showing yourself worthy, but you don't belong there. I've been here over a year now, from the very beginning, and the frontline is not where you should be."

"I have to go there. I must!" Vaugt clapped his hands together and stood up, stretching to his full giant length then scratched his side as he turned to the young lad.

"You're that determined?" Dreiden nodded with finality. "All right then. We will go together. I can't let a tyke like you head out there without some experience next to you."

"Vaugt…" the other waved off the ensuing words.

"Get plenty of sleep tonight. Tomorrow is going to be hell on earth."


	36. Chapter 36

The battle was to be held in the dead of night, it would be more effective in frightening the humans who had been accustomed now to vampiric battle. However none had ever encountered a vampire with pureblood power and it would be like a mallet upon their heads to find that their strength had increased tenfold. The nobles sat astride their steeds, the fastest and most efficient way of staying ahead of the troops without leaving them behind. Each had prepped for battle earlier that morning. It seemed that Ruka still felt somewhat woozy from her sudden dose of power, but she was handling it very well. She was determined to make Kaname-sama proud, even if it meant for her to abandon her lady-like façade.

Hanabusa's horse seemed to sense the oncoming battle as it was skittish to plow ahead, but he held it back with a practiced skill as his gaze swept through the crowds of soldiers that they were to lead into battle. Tonight would determine whether or not Kaname's plan was to be successful. He was surrounded yet again by new faces and he felt a pang for the humans. This battle was much more to them knowing that once their lives were taken, there was no return. Some were so young, he thought as he glanced over the heights and body-types nearest him. His eyes stopped upon a young lad, barely taller than his companion's hip and for a moment he imagined it was Yori, but it was impossible because she was safely at home with Aria, away from all of this mad chaos. The sound of the horn announcing the commencement of their advance distracted him as they all began the long tread towards the enemy lines.

The pace started out slow, to keep everyone together, but as the torches of the enemy grew nearer the speed picked up, everyone running alongside one another. Armor, shields, and weapons clattered against one another as they ran headlong for the opposite side of the field for an inevitable thunder clash. The first wave of the enemy hit as the humans were used first as fodder for the flames to rage up upon. Hanabusa felt a bolt of anger as he realized the enemy viewed its own so frivolously. The humans would be devoured first and he could only imagine how it made his comrades feel, knowing they were to slaughter their own. He let out a call of unity as they flew into them, mowing them down, but not without a great loss of their own. The humans were ill prepared, but there were many and they were armed to the teeth. He watched as one after another several of their own fell. He was angered and prepared to let loose his wrath.

"Not yet!" cried Seiren. His teeth grit together into a horrible grimace. He had to be patient; they were not close enough yet. Just a little further. He reigned in his horse to keep from treading too far ahead, it wasn't time. Then came the arrows, flying down upon them like a horrible rain of death. Others fell as well, those who could stand were either trampled or attempted to move forward with the fight. Some cried out in cowardice, the new recruits, unaccustomed to such fierce onslaughts. He shouted words of encouragement not only to his men, but to himself as well. His eyes glanced back behind him and saw that the young lad was keeping pace, as determined as those around him and he felt a small smirk cross his lips. This battle would test them all.

Finally the moment came and the four nobles took off at a breakneck speed, breaking away from all the others. They spread out evenly, difficult to hit with arrows. They advanced without conventional weapons, armed with only their wits and power. Finally they were upon the first wave of vampires, letting loose a flood of power that knocked many down to their knees. Ruka gagged slightly, but held in the discomfort as she let loose a plethora of stinging arrows of energy, slicing into the forces like a knife through warm butter. Seiren's wind slashed apart the enemy's armor and tearing the flesh of exposed skin while Akatsuki allowed the thunder of his bolts envelope one soldier after another, forcing them into complete submission. The humans died almost instantly, but the vampires were forced to endure much longer the pain. Hanabusa's frustration was finally released as the ice gathered upon the enemy in waves, enveloping them one after another without so much as a second. Before it would have taken much longer for his energy to gather and take the enemy, but now it only required an inclination in order for them to be encased completely. The power was so intense it frightened him. He was not a man drunk for power and he finally appreciated the kind that Kaname possessed and yet refused to use upon others unless forced to.

The mass of the enemy finally slammed into the nobles and slowed their advance, allowing their allies to gain on them. Instantly the two forces clashed into one another, emitting such a sound that it would have frozen anyone miles away in their tracks.

Dreiden watched helplessly as Hanabusa was carried further and further away from him and he desperately fought off in his direction. His anxiousness to get to his goal nearly cost him his head, but Vaugt was there to deflect the blow of a mace. The big man shouted out a word of caution before falling in upon a vampire who had not seen him coming with his oversized machete. The head was dismantled and no longer was that vampire within this realm. Dreiden sent a word of thanks and acknowledgement before continuing forth towards the glimmering image of the young Aidou. A sword appeared from his peripheral and he instantly raised his own to guard against the blow, but instead of pushing against the oncoming attack, he gave way and rolled out from under the force, knowing full well that he could not counter something head on. Using the opportunity, he swung his blade around and encased it in the other's back, slicing clean through. He did not hesitate as he took yet another step in the other's direction, vaguely aware that Vaugt still fought on closely at his side, watching his back and he was grateful.

His vision blurred together into something of a slow dance, like a dream, countering, attacking, feigning, and deflecting. It was a zone in which no other could intrude upon and yet the only other that truly remained fully within his line of vision was Hanabusa, who also fought valiantly at the forefront.

Vaugt saw that the youth was on a rampage for he fought harder than he had ever seen before and it paid off in a sense. They advanced, but so quickly ahead of the others that it left them both vulnerable.

"That tyke needs to cool down or else he's going to get himself killed," he mumbled as he disposed of yet another soldier. "Slow down, you're getting too far ahead."

"If we are too far ahead, then they are most certainly beyond the point of safety. What is the point of fighting if we can't even keep up with them?" roared Dreiden as he fought further. Others heard the outcry and silently rallied harder on the enemy, attempting to close the distance between themselves and the nobles already embroiled in the fray ahead. The renewed energy was not lost upon the enemy as some began to back down on their ground, some attempting to retreat. The enemy blew its rallying horn, attempting to keep the morale of its men up, but it was not faring well. Kaname's forces were outnumbered by far, but their increased morale and the sudden appearance of this new power had destabilized those they fought against.

With a cry Dreiden burst forward finally close enough to Hanabusa to see his face. Once again he too was so focused upon his enemies that he did not see the imminent danger. Dreiden watched as if in a bad dream as he saw a string of archers preparing upon the hilltop to shoot down one noble at a time, starting with Hanabusa. Dreiden shoved away a soldier he was currently locked arms with and made a headlong dash for the noble, ignoring the warning cries of Vaugt, giving a mad leap of fate.

Hanabusa only saw too late the glint of arrowheads just as they were launched, but he was not deterred, knowing full well that they would be unable to hurt him, not as they had before. That is why he did not try to avoid them, he simply continued on in his fight, but unfortunately the loyal soldiers were not aware of this fact for one made a wild leap into the path of the deadly bolts. Hanabusa's eyes widened as he realized it was the young man from before in the same moment that two of the arrows hit a mark, however not the one intended. They lodged soundly into the other's chest with a nauseating thud. It was a fatal blow, from that Hanabusa knew instantly. Reacting quickly he grabbed hold of the young man and dropped him in front on his lap, face down. It was in that moment that a stirring began in Hanabusa's chest. Something was wrong. His eyes wandered over the back of the soldier who had sacrificed himself and his breath caught automatically. He still was not aware of why this young man had done such a reckless act. He steadied his thoughts briefly to stave off another wave of soldiers attempting to bring down the noble. His eyes were glued to the soldier's back in a perplexed manner. He couldn't describe the unsettling feeling that had descended upon him. His heart was racing in ways that was not associated with battle.

Now that the archers had been found out Akatsuki and Seiren quickly took them out. Hanabusa's horse wheeled around to kick out at the enemy as his hand rested gently upon the young man's back. It moved slightly. He was still alive, but barely. Suddenly the young man's companion lumbered over wide-eyed.

"Hand her to me!" he yelled quickly, foregoing all etiquette towards a noble warrior. Hanabusa was puzzled, but didn't hesitate. It was only until he had caught a glimpse of the lad's face when he suddenly realized why his heart was in a vice at that moment and it nearly left him stunned motionless.

"I will take her to safety!" yelled Vaugt over the din of the battle. Hanabusa could barely shake out a nod as he watched the gentle giant cradle the woman dressed as a man.

"Don't let her die," he said dangerously as his eyes connected with Vaugt's. The man hesitated, but nodded determinedly before he spun around slicing his way through the mess surrounding them. Only taking two seconds more to absorb quickly what he had seen Hanabusa swung around with a renewed energy letting out a battle cry.

"Yori!" All who approached to bring him down were met to meet their maker.

Please all I have a poll in my profile on a spin-off. This will help me decide on how I will end this story. Please let me know what you want and I will go with that decision!


	37. Chapter 37

Hanabusa's only thought throughout the entire battle was to make it back to Yori. His mind was in a complete blur, not even taking in the horrified and death-staring expressions of his victims as he tore through the hoards of enemy soldiers, human and vampire alike. They were all the same to him, they stood between him and the one he had finally told he loved. The regret of not having told her sooner ripped at him just as painfully as it ripped through those surrounding others. It took a couple of warnings from his comrades to reign in his power lest he accidently harm their own forces. In the end, the battle was one of the shorter ones, lasting only half the day as opposed to two or three. This was perhaps testament to Hanabusa's determination mixed with the new-found power of his classmates.

It was all meaningless if she died. That was the only thing that ran through his mind and the only way that he could be by her side was by wiping out all of those who stood in his way, including the soldier who stood firmly outside of the medical tent, keeping all from entering and bringing in any bad air from the outside. Hanabusa ignored the man's imploring requests to remain outside as he sped his way into tent only seeking out the one person he had longed to see for months.

There she lay completely bandaged in the chest breathing in labored spouts. The blood had dried in horrible clumps on the torn uniform that had been hastily ripped aside to make it easier for the doctor to tend to her wounds. The gaping holes had been bandaged tightly, but it had barely stemmed the flow of blood. Her face was deathly pale as her lips were dried and cracked in a death grimace. Hanabusa shoved aside the restraining hands as he made his way hurriedly to her side, kneeling next to the cot that now held her fragile form. Everyone stood silently as he gripped her hand in his, a grip so strong that his hand was shaking, squeezing together the cold, pale fingers. They were so small in his own, gritty from the battle. Kaname stood silently from the entrance, staring on quietly, waiting as did the others. Hanabusa's shoulders shook convulsively for a long moment and then finally his sobs could audibly be heard within the tent. His head bent over Yori's, still not responding to his grief. His other hand rose shaking as well as he gently stroked her golden hair, finally let loose from the severe knot that had held it for so long. His emotions were overflowing as his eyes wandered frantically across her face, attempting to see some kind of response, but none came. He called her name gently, attempting to regain control. Still nothing. He slowly pressed his forehead against hers, still imploring her to open her eyes.

After a long moment of his attempts, finally the doctor stepped forward, clearing his throat uncomfortably, not wishing to be the first to interrupt.

"It was poisoned, the arrow. She still fights it, but she will not remain in this state for long." His announcement held clear meaning. Hanabusa acted as though he had not heard at first, then he spoke still without turning.

"Kaname-sama, may I speak with you alone for a moment." He did not have to turn to see that his lord granted him affirmation. Slowly he stood, still looking down at the woman laying within her death grips before him. With much reluctance he turned to follow his lord out of the tent. Then began the long and desperate pleas for his lord to give some of the pureblood to the human woman so that she would live, but Kaname kept referring to the fact that it could prove much more fatal than Hanabusa was willing to admit. Lost without any other options he verbally announced that he would give his own blood mixed with the pureblood to her, only then perhaps she would be saved.

"That is not what the Blood Share was intended for," said Kaname suddenly. It froze Hanabusa in his tracks to look at his sovereign straight in the eyes. It was a look of pleading; one that begged him not to force him to choose between Yori and his lord.

"Kaname-sama…"

"If I were to allow you to do this, what little control I have over the Blood Share would have no bounds. You know this and you know the intention in which I released the pureblood to everyone else. Allow fate to work its course, if she lives she was meant to do so, if not, then…" Hanabusa would not allow him to finish his sentence.

"She will live! Because I won't let her die!" Kaname stared at him intensely, assessing his lifetime friend's disposition and knew it was hopeless to argue with him in this state.

"Know one thing. If you do this, it will forever change everything." Hanabusa glared openly at Kaname and did not say a word as he flung aside the flap of the entrance to Yori's resting place. The pureblood let out an exasperated sigh, seeing there was little he could do to stop Hanabusa once he had an idea in his head, especially when it dealt with Sayori Wakabe. "My friend, you don't know what you are doing." In reality, neither did Kaname. On the exterior, he looked calm and collected, but in truth he was struggling to grasp what reason he could find. This war was driving him mad with the desire to protect those he loved and he saw now that it was taking its toll selfishly on those surrounding him. The testament to this truth was laying prone and near death on the other side of the thin fabric.

Should I continue a spin-off? I have a poll in my profile, let me know... it will determine how I end this story...


	38. Chapter 38

Despite his sovereign's wishes, Hanabusa gave his blood to Yori and sat back, waiting for her possible recovery. He noticed that the blood had stopped all together and within a week her wounds had nearly healed. It was a good sign, however she never stirred, or made a sound, she was a living corpse in a deep slumber. Everyday Hanabusa implored her to wake up and everyday she refused, remaining in her deep slumber. The battle continued and Hanabusa completed each mission with an emotionless expression, devoid of the original sympathy and reluctance to destroy others. He no longer hesitated to take out the soldier who cringed upon his glare. The others acknowledged the noticeable difference in his fighting style and chose not to say anything, not even his cousin, Akatsuki, would raise his voice at the complete lack of consciousness of Hanabusa's actions. They all knew what had caused this sudden turn and found little they could do short of reviving Yori for their estranged friend.

Months passed and no one could really explain Yori's state of ambiguity and the unchanged of her state. Her hair did not grow, she did not whither away, she remained as she had for several years. She breathed shallowly and with less force, but she remained pale and with an expression that was neither at peace nor in pain. She was simply empty of life. Despite this, it seemed as though Hanabusa still saw life in her and treated her as such, speaking to her quietly, telling her of the battles and the latest decisions and tactics. She never stirred.

The fights grew sparser by the day and less fierce. Kaname felt the nearing of the end, realizing that all that remained now was to ambush the opposing forces, dispose of the other pureblood and then reclaim peace. Gazing upon his friend he acknowledged that it would not be found so easily for some. Everyone waited eagerly for the end to come. Their morale was high, but they had all grown weary with war. It had been close to two years since the fighting had started and these men and women had family and loved ones they wished to be with. Kaname felt the impatience to end the fight quickly.

Hanabusa refused to have Yori sent away, claiming that she would wake soon and that he would be there to greet her, but yet she remained still.

Victory came with a downpour of rain and thunder as the opposing pureblood stood off against Kaname. With the beleaguered forces standing opposite of Kaname's which had grown fiercer and a force to be reckoned against. The other did not plead for his life or that of his troops. He stood soaked as he smirked cruelly at the other.

"That a pureblood would have shared his blood to win a war. It is a rule that was never to broken," he said hoarsely. "Already a darkness is forming around you and everything you hold dear for this decision." Kaname did not show any sign of anger or disturbance by these words, having dealt already with the possible consequences.

"They will find you and your family. Those who seek power no longer have the past to keep them from acting as they please. You know not what you have done."

"I know exactly what I have done," said Kaname coldly as he released the raging power from within. The other disintegrated into a cloud of ash, only to be swept away by the powerful winds and raging torrents of rain. After a long moment, Kaname turned to his forces.

"It is finished. Let's go home." A roar of applause and cheers rose up from his men and women, covered with blood and dirt from the long day's battle. Regardless of the exuberance, there still remained a horrible foreboding looming above the pureblood's head. Yes, a force was gathering against him once again.

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The Aidou household had learned long before that Yori had disappeared to attend the frontlines and they waited anxiously for the young master's return, surely bringing with him the slumbering woman who had cared for the master's son. Lilith waited with the servants out front as the carriage approached, carrying the inhabitants. The moment Hanabusa stepped out he was embraced lovingly by first his mother and then a strong show of emotions by his father with a hearty handshake before everyone present. He was not completely aware of everyone there as he turned and retrieved Yori's body from inside of the vehicle. The crowd grew still as he approached the threshold of the mansion, Aria leaping and bounding from behind several groups of servants joyously expecting her father's embrace, but stood stunned as he carried with him the woman she had praised so adamantly. She glared angrily, seeing that his arms were full with another. He swept past her with Lilith trailing behind. Gently her mother placed a hand on her shoulder before passing her as well.

"Go and prepare a room for Ms. Wakabe," she ordered quickly. The servants leapt to action, a sudden flurry of activity followed. Turning, Lilith addressed Aria.

"Darling, go and prepare for dinner. You will have a chance then to speak with your father," she said gently. The little girl who had grown incredibly since her father's departure did not react and simply glowered at his retreating back as he ascended the stairwell. She remained standing as everyone continued to rush in every direction.

---------

After gently placing Yori in a comfortable position in a large bed, Hanabusa checked her anxiously for any disturbances that he had missed and was relieved to see that she was whole and unharmed during their travels. Very carefully he brushed aside some hair that had gone astray before settling on the mattress beside her. A servant knocked and inquired whether he requested anything and he merely dismissed her with a wave of the hand, still staring at Yori's pale face. Nothing had changed. He had hoped that perhaps upon returning she would be revived, but it was still no such luck. He did not know how long he sat there, watching her before Lilith appeared in the doorway.

"Hanabusa, please come and eat. The servants will make sure that she is well tended for." He did not even so much as react. "Hanabusa, Aria still is waiting to greet you." This brought his attention to her and he saw that her face was pained, but very much restrained and he felt grateful. "Please go see your daughter and I will make sure that Yori is comfortable." He knew that as long as he remained on the estate no one would dare to harm the woman he had loved and had a child with and this was some comfort to him.

Slowly he relinquished his place by the bed and went to the door, only looking back at the still form before departing. Lilith remained in the doorway staring as well.

"How could you do this to him? You better wake up soon so you can reclaim what you have lost," she said quietly, on the verge of tears.

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Hanabusa found his daughter in the playroom and noticed that many of her toys had been replaced by books that had been stacked in an ordered chaos on shelves. He felt a fatherly pride rise up when he looked as she was completely engrossed in one of her books, noticing that it contained few pictures. He certainly had missed much of her growing up in this past year and he regretted that they grew so quickly, especially for vampires. Once she came of age she would then slow such spurts, but until then he would have to cherish every moment with her.

Aria did not notice her father in the doorway, she was so enthralled with the story of the beautiful princess sleeping in the coffin, awaiting her beloved vampire knight to save her from the evil temptress. It wasn't until her father cleared his throat did she look up and a bright gleam spread across her face. Standing up quickly she ran headlong across the room to embrace him. Her head came up to his chest and Hanabusa felt yet another pang of regret not having been there as she grew.

"Papa!" she said gleefully as her arms encircled his waist. His hand reached up and caressed the top of her head, taking in her golden hair. It was not his, it was Yori's head of hair; another pain lanced his chest. Pulling her away by the shoulders he took a good look at her face. Yes, Yori was represented strongly in ways only those who knew her could see. He was sure that Yuki would have noticed by now.

"Hello, darling. I am sorry that I did not have a chance to see you earlier." The little face scrunched up.

"Yes you did," she said honestly. "I was there with everyone else, but you were carrying that lady." Hanabusa scowled, but still held his daughter gently by the shoulders. Turning, he led her to a nearby chair and lifted her easily into his lap and after settling he turned to look her in the eyes.

"That lady is very important to all of us," he said gently admonishing her sharp tone towards her mother, the one she did not know. "She cares for you very deeply." Aria seemed reprimanded and regretful of her earlier irritation. Hanabusa smiled and hugged her tightly to his chest. "But I missed you very much all the time," he admitted. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Really? I thought about you all the time too Papa! Are you going away again?" she said, a little frightened by the possible answer. Hanabusa looked sad for a moment before smiling at her brightly.

"Nope, you are stuck with your old man from now on." Aria giggled and wrapped her arms around her father's neck placing a wet kiss on his cheek.

"I am not stuck with you Papa. You are stuck with me!" Hanabusa burst out with a laugh, something he had not done in so long.

"It looks as though we are stuck with each other." Hanabusa remembered suddenly and reached into his pocket and pulled out a shining medallion and placed it gently in the little girl's eager hands. A leather thong was threaded through the small coin-like object. Her eyes were rounded.

"What is this?" she said happily at receiving something from her father. Smiling proudly.

"That, my dear, is the medallion worn by the great pureblood that your father and Kaname-sama defeated. It is a keepsake given to me by Kaname-sama and I am giving it to you." Aria shrieked and quickly tried to untie the knot, but found that her fingers were too small still to get the job done. Smiling, Hanabusa reached down and helped her accomplish what she sought. Finally, after having it secured around her neck, she jumped to the ground and ran for the nearest mirror to examine the treasure. Her grin was infectious as she spun back around to lob another wet kiss on her father's lips.

"Thank you Papa!" she said. Their happy reunion was interrupted by a knocking at the door, Lilith entering. Aria leapt from her father's arms and ran to her mother to show the new treasure, showing it off with great flourish.

"Really, Hanabusa, you think you could have found something more appropriate for a growing girl?" she admonished gently, with little force. Hanabusa only shrugged carelessly as he stood to take his daughter's hand. "It is time to eat. Aria be sure to clean up. Everyone has gathered, including the Kurans." Lilith smiled.

"Is Zero and his papa here as well?" she said instantly. Hanabusa reacted instantly and swept the girl now growing too big to do so, into his arms.

"How dare you think of others ahead of your precious papa," he said half-jokingly. Aria looked regretful and said with a seriousness almost disturbing for someone her age, "Papa, you are always more precious to me." It was final and Hanabusa was satisfied with the answer.

Finally they all descended to the dining room and he found Yuki and Zero had arrived with their long missed father and husband. Aria skipped closer to Zero and plopped into a chair next to him, obviously showing it as a habit. Hanabusa cleared his throat and looked effectively hurt and without a second thought Aria abandoned Zero's side to take a place right next to her father. Zero threw a menacing look that was returned in kind by Hanabusa. This could be interesting. Hanabusa took his place across from the little pureblood who did not break his glare. Instead he made a point of smiling and laughing with Aria, glancing occasionally at the other to see if it drove home the message. She was his and his alone. Zero pouted rather openly and swung his legs under the table. Chatter filled the room as the family descended as well as several close family guests.

Leaning over, Hanabusa whispered loudly to his daughter, "Who do you love the most, darling?"

"You Papa! I love you the most!" Aria said, eager to give the answer that was the most pleasing and truthful. Hanabusa was half smiling before he felt a sharp pain in his shin. Looking up wide-eyed at the other across the table, he realized the little twit had kicked him! Zero glared back and stuck his tongue out slightly. Hanabusa flexed his hands under the table.

Seeing that this was not heading in a good direction, Lilith tried to form some kind of conversation with her husband, but found that there was little they could speak of besides the war and it was a topic that was still raw. Aria picked at her food, not very hungry for rare meat or the blood that was served to her in a goblet. Instead she asked for water. Hanabusa noticed this and felt sympathetic. Lilith had before gone against this, but things had changed since he had left for war. Lilith did not say anything as other foods were brought for the girl.

Finally, after everyone had their fill Kaname stood and cleared his throat. The room grew quiet.

"I have an announcement." Yuki looked down at her clasped hands, refusing to look at everyone else. "Due to the latest demands for my attention, we will be travelling to attend to the requests." Silence fell as everyone absorbed this.

"When will you be back?" said Aria a little shakily. Hanabusa glanced at her nervously as Kaname answered.

"It is not determined." It was quite clear that they were to leave for a long period of time and Aria picked up on this instantly. It took only a moment for her to react. Jumping from her chair she ran around the table to Zero and grabbed the young boy, almost as tall as her now, to her chest. Her face was one of harsh defiance. She was rarely moved to tears, but they were beginning to form around the corners of her eyes.

"You will leave Zero here with me though right?" she said hopefully. Kaname and Yuki exchanged looks and once again the girl knew what this meant. Zero lifted his hands to clasp her forearm as well, looking hopefully at his parents. Yuki looked at him lovingly before shaking her head slowly.

"No! You can't take him away!" implored Aria. "You can't!" she said wildly.

"Aria!" retorted Lilith. The little girl cried out and looked at her father imploringly, but he only looked at her sadly. Seeing no one was going to aid her, she grabbed hold of Zero's hand and took off running. Everyone stood up in alarm watching the two exit. Kaname held up his hand to keep anyone from retrieving the children.

"Let them be." Slowly everyone sat back down and a slow murmur recovered. Hanabusa leaned forward and whispered confidentially to his lord.

"You intend to go into hiding, don't you?" he said. Kaname stared at him for a long moment and nodded. "You need someone to go with you," Hanabusa started, but Kaname shook his head.

"We will disappear for a time…" Yuki spoke up then.

"But Kaname, I cannot leave Yori. Not in the state she is in!" she hissed almost loudly. Kaname placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"I will make sure that we know of her status as we move, but it is too dangerous for our son here." The mentioning of Zero sobered Yuki. Yori would understand right? She would understand better than anyone else.

The mentioning of Yori brought her back to the forefront of his mind an Hanabusa excused himself. Lilith looked on glumly as her husband left the room in the same direction as the children. She knew his destination and was resigned to her fate as forever staring from the sidelines.

---------------

"Yori, it looks as though the Kurans will be going into hiding. It is as Kaname feared. I will be left here alone. I can't raise Aria on my own. Please come back to me…"

---------------

The children had finally been retrieved and Zero stared on glumly as Aria was held back, sobbing as he and his parents were huddled up into the carriage, preparing to depart. Hanabusa came out only briefly to bid farewell, requesting that the Kurans keep in touch and let him know of their health and safety. Kaname simply nodded and it was all that was needed. Yuki leaned forward and hugged Hanabusa.

"Please take care of Yori until I get back," she said tearfully as she pulled away.

"Was there any question?" Hanabusa said slightly insulted. Yuki smiled, seeing she had still managed to annoy the vampire noble. Aria ran up and Hanabusa grabbed her as she attempted to run past him into the carriage. She finally gave up, turning to sob into her father's waistcoat. Nodding his head in the direction of the gate signaling they should go while they still had a chance. Zero climbed up to the side of the window and looked out as they pulled away. Finally realizing that he was not going to be seeing Aria again. She grew smaller, but he squinted his eyes to realize that she had suddenly taken off running after the carriage calling out his name.

"Aria, I'll be back! Just you wait!" Zero finally yelled out. His parents were astonished. He never raised his voice, much less to yell so everyone could hear him. The little girl's sobs faded away as they turned out of the gates. Hanabusa walked up from behind, wrapping his little girl in his arms. Knowing that the immediate threat of Zero Kuran was removed still did not alleviate the pain of seeing his precious daughter in such disarray. To try to comfort her, he picked her up and suggested that they go for a walk around the gardens. She shook her head sadly, finally the sobs subsiding. He insisted and led her by the hand in the direction of the gardens.

The moonlight spilled down upon the father and daughter as they tread slowly around the pond. Aria clung to her father's hand, but only concentrated on the ground in front of her. Finally coming upon a bench Hanabusa settled himself upon the cold surface and lifted his daughter to his lap, her favorite place.

"Do you want to hear a story?" he said suddenly, trying to distract her from her deep and morbid thoughts. She shrugged. "It's a love story." This caught her attention and she looked up instantly, but still tried to hang onto her mood.

"What's it about?" Hanabusa 'hmm'ed and then looked at her.

"It's about a great warrior who thought he was king of the world. All of the men and women flocked to him and stood in awe of his glory, but there was one woman who stood apart from the others." Aria looked at him with some curiosity.

"Why?"

"Because she was not a pawn like the others. You see the great warrior felt that he had everything he could ever want, but then one day he fell in love…"

THE END

TAKE A POLL IN MY PROFILE…


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